China warns of 'high risk' of lake bursting after Nepal landslide

Chinese authorities have issued a stark warning of a "high risk" that a lake formed by a recent landslide near the Nepal-Tibet border could burst, potentially triggering a second devastating flood downstream. This alert comes in the wake of a deadly flash flood that occurred earlier in the week, which scientists attribute to the collapse of a mountain glacier into a river.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, approximately 2.5 million cubic meters of water had accumulated in the barrier lake by Friday morning. Officials anticipate that an additional three million cubic meters of water will flow into the lake between Thursday and Saturday, significantly increasing the danger of a breach. The barrier lake, situated at the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, has already started to overflow, according to China's Ministry of Water Resources. The region has also been experiencing heavy rainfall, exacerbating the situation.

Engineering teams have been dispatched to monitor the lake's water levels and the prevailing atmospheric conditions. However, the situation has hampered emergency response efforts. A CCTV report indicated that most Chinese emergency services were stranded approximately 7 kilometers from Gyirong Port, a major land crossing between Nepal and China that was severely impacted by the initial flood. The continuous overflow of the barrier lake poses a direct threat, potentially leading to fresh floods or debris flows.

Due to these escalating risks, search and rescue operations near the Nepal-Tibet border have been suspended. The precarious state of the barrier lake underscores the ongoing environmental and safety challenges in the region following the initial landslide and glacier collapse.