Nepal-Tibet flash flood live updates: debris-clogged river at risk of flooding again; rescuers race to find survivors
A catastrophic flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border has killed nearly 400 people, with over 1,400 still missing. Authorities are warning of further danger as debris-clogged rivers create unstable artificial lakes that threaten to breach and cause additional flooding.
Why it matters
The disaster represents a major humanitarian crisis requiring international aid and highlights the increasing vulnerability of mountainous regions to climate-related geological events.
Chinese authorities have warned that an artificial lake formed after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday faces a “high risk of breaching and sending flood waters downstream”, according to state media.
“According to forecasts, inflows into the lake could reach about 3 million cubic meters over the next three days amid continued rainfall, increasing the risk of a breach that could send flood waters downstream and potentially cause further damage in areas including Gyirong Port and elsewhere downstream”, state news agency Xinhua reported late on Thursday.
Nepal has also warned of new flooding risks, with the country’s disaster authority saying water levels were rising in a lake formed by debris clogging a flooded site and that it was at risk of bursting its banks. It did not name the specific site.
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