Chinese Experts Deem Risk of Flood-Formed Dam 'Controllable'

Chinese experts have declared the risk associated with a natural dam, formed by recent floods in the border region between Nepal and southwestern Tibet, to be "controllable." The dam, created when floodwaters blocked a river channel with a mix of ice, rocks, glacial fragments, and mud, has been under close observation.

According to specialists cited by state television CCTV, the dam is currently draining naturally. Their assessment indicates that the risk level has decreased to a point where artificial intervention to break the barrier is not considered necessary for the time being. The water's surface area currently covers approximately 100,000 square meters, roughly equivalent to fourteen football fields.

Despite the assessment of controllability, authorities are maintaining a state of heightened vigilance. Continuous monitoring is being conducted using radar, drones, and other equipment to detect any potential for new landslides that could once again block the river channel. This ongoing surveillance is crucial given the inherent instability of the materials forming the dam.

The situation has had significant consequences for rescue operations. On Friday, search and rescue efforts in the heavily impacted Gyirong border pass were temporarily suspended when the dam began to overflow. Although operations resumed as the immediate risk of a sudden breach diminished, the area remains devastated. The flood destroyed the border pass, and rescue teams are systematically searching through the debris for signs of life, employing advanced equipment capable of detecting life up to 20 meters deep in mud.