'High risk' of lake bursting and causing second flood, warns China

What the report says

China has warned that a newly formed barrier lake near the Nepal-Tibet border could burst in the coming days, raising the risk of another flood downstream. According to BBC World News, the lake formed after a landslide in the same region as Wednesday’s deadly flash flood, which scientists believe was triggered by a glacier collapse into a river.

State broadcaster CCTV said that by Friday morning an estimated 2.5 million cubic metres of water had collected behind the debris dam, and officials expected another 3 million cubic metres to flow in between Thursday and Saturday. Chinese authorities said the lake, located where the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers meet, had already begun overflowing. Heavy rain in the area has added to the concern.

The Ministry of Water Resources said engineering teams were being sent to monitor water levels and weather conditions. CCTV also reported that rescue workers near Gyirong Port were stuck several kilometres away because of the ongoing overflow risk, forcing search and rescue efforts near the border to be suspended.

The warning comes amid a wider emergency on both sides of the border. Nepali authorities have cautioned people to stay away from the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers because of possible blockages and further flooding. The situation matters because the area has already suffered severe loss of life and many people remain missing, making any second flood potentially devastating.