Authorities in Nepal have suspended all rescue operations for the next 90 minutes after receiving reports that a barrier holding back an artificial lake in Tibet has breached, raising fears of another devastating flood in the Himalayan border region.
Nepal Police said the dam or natural barrier in the Tibet region had broken again, prompting authorities to urge all security personnel, rescuers and local residents to immediately move to safer locations.
The warning came just two days after catastrophic flooding struck the Himalayan region. Officials fear the latest surge of water could cause further destruction along areas near the Nepal-China border.
Narendra Pariyar, a senior official in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, said water levels in the river were rising again.
We can see the water level in the river rising again,” he said.
Witnesses reported that helicopter rescue operations had been halted in the affected area, while frightened residents were moving rapidly towards higher ground.
China has also suspended rescue operations in the Tibetan region because of the renewed risk of flooding. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that an artificial lake formed by a massive landslide had begun overflowing, sending water towards areas where rescue teams were operating.
Rescue teams were instructed to remain at their current locations, while emergency personnel who had reached high-risk areas were ordered to withdraw about one kilometre to safer ground.
The artificial lake was formed on Wednesday after an avalanche in the Himalayan region sent large amounts of mud and debris down the mountainside, blocking the area around the Gyirong Port.
Drone footage captured by Chinese rescue teams on Thursday showed brown water accumulating behind the natural barrier, submerging nearby vegetation and putting increasing pressure on the wall of rocks and mud.
Authorities had already warned riverside residents to move to higher ground because of the risk of secondary disasters, including landslides and avalanches.
The devastating disaster two days ago has already killed at least 469 people, while around 1,400 people—including hundreds of foreign nationals—remain missing across the two sides of the border.
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