China has suspended rescue operations in Tibet as concerns grow over the possibility of another devastating flood along the Nepal-Tibet border, just two days after a deadly flash flood struck the same region.
China’s state-run television broadcaster CCTV confirmed the development on Friday, reporting that a new barrier lake has been discovered near the Tibet-Nepal border and could collapse at any time. Rescue operations in Tibet will remain suspended for the next three days while authorities closely monitor the situation.
A barrier lake forms when a natural obstruction blocks the flow of a river or stream. The catastrophic flash flood that struck Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday was also triggered by the collapse of such a lake.
Following an avalanche, part of the Lehend River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River near the Nepal-China border, was blocked, creating a barrier lake. As water pressure increased, the lake eventually burst, releasing millions of cubic metres of water into the Lehend River and subsequently the Bhotekoshi River.
The resulting flash flood struck Nepal’s border district of Rasuwa and Tibet’s Gyirong County at around 10:30am on Wednesday.
The disaster has reportedly killed nearly 500 people in Rasuwa and Gyirong, while around 1,400 people remain missing. Among the missing are 865 foreign nationals. Huge amounts of mud, rocks and debris have buried parts of Rasuwa, Gyirong and surrounding areas, with rescue operations still underway in Nepal.
The newly discovered barrier lake is located farther upstream from the lake that collapsed on August 26, at the confluence of the Chochen Khola and Purépu Sangpo rivers in Tibet.
Authorities estimate that the new lake currently contains around 2 million cubic metres of water. Water has already begun overflowing from the lake, while Chinese authorities have warned that another 3 million cubic metres of water could enter it over the next three days.
As a precaution, China’s Ministry of Water Resources has increased monitoring of the lake’s water level and geographical changes. Villages located in potentially dangerous areas have also been evacuated.
Special teams have been dispatched from Beijing and Chengdu to assist with rescue and relief efforts.
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