China works to avert disaster as barrier lake near Nepal border threatens to burst

China is urgently deploying resources to manage the threat posed by a barrier lake near its border with Nepal, which risks causing further catastrophic flooding. The lake, formed after a glacier collapse, threatens to exacerbate the calamity that has already claimed hundreds of lives since Wednesday.

Chinese authorities have mobilized an eight-member engineering team to conduct aerial surveys and create 3D models of the barrier lake. Access to the site presents significant challenges due to isolated cliffs and steep terrain created by the glacial event. Engineers are focused on excavating a drainage channel at a lower point of the dam, but the precise dimensions require careful calculation based on water flow and lake volume.

Initial surveys indicate the lake is approximately 150 meters long and 40-50 meters deep, holding an estimated 1.5 to 2 million cubic meters of water. Future tasks include continuous monitoring of the lake and its floor, alongside weather surveillance in the coming days. The Gyirong border port area has experienced light to moderate rainfall, which has destabilized the soil and rock surrounding the precarious zone, with forecasts predicting continued rain throughout the week.

Chinese officials warned on Thursday that an estimated 3 million cubic meters of water could flow into the dammed lake within the next three days, significantly increasing the risk of a breach. The peak flow is anticipated around September 1. Aerial footage captured by a Chinese rescue team shows the accumulation of brown water in a basin with no visible outlet, submerging vegetation and pressing against a barrier of debris.

The disaster has left nearly 1,000 people missing on both sides of the border, including a substantial number of foreigners from 31 countries, according to officials.

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After the glacier collapse created the lake, many isolated cliffs and steep cliffs appeared along it.