Nepal and China Suspend Rescue as Barrier Lake at Border Overflows
Al Jazeera Staff
Nepal and China have temporarily halted rescue efforts in the wake of a catastrophic glacial lake outburst flood that killed over 470 people, with hundreds still missing. The barrier lake formed by the disaster has begun overflowing, posing a renewed threat to downstream communities.
Nepal and China have paused rescue operations for survivors of a devastating flash flood that struck the border region on Wednesday, as a barrier lake formed by the disaster began to overflow.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), rescue teams and vehicles were withdrawn to safer areas as the risk of the lake bursting increased. On the Nepali side, authorities also suspended search operations for 90 minutes, a military officer confirmed.
The barrier lake formed when Wednesday's flash flood carried massive amounts of mud and debris down steep valleys, threatening to unleash another destructive wave.
In Nepal's Rasuwa district, bordering Tibet, residents were seen scrambling up hillsides to avoid rising river waters, according to Reuters.
The disaster occurred when a glacier collapsed, sending a colossal cascade of ice, water, rock, and mud down Himalayan river valleys, burying entire villages and destroying roads, bridges, and hydropower plants.
Residual debris then blocked the water flow, creating a natural dam. As water continued to pour into the lake, the threat of renewed flooding for downstream communities escalated.
China deployed an engineering team to conduct aerial surveys and create 3D models of the site. By Friday, the lake's volume had swelled to over 2.5 million cubic meters, up from an estimated 1.5 to 2 million cubic meters just a day earlier.
Downstream in Nepal, officials received warnings that the lake had started overflowing, according to Narendra Pariyar, the chief district officer of Rasuwa, the hardest-hit area.
“We are seeing the river level rising,” he said, adding that the exact height of the surge remained unclear.
Relief Supplies Blocked
The death toll from the disaster has surpassed 470. On Friday, the Nepali prime minister's office confirmed 469 deaths, with 977 people still missing. About 1,550 people have been rescued.
Chinese authorities said Friday that the death toll in Tibet had risen to at least 5, with 558 people missing.
Bishal Nath Upreti, chairman of Nepal's Disaster Management Center, told Al Jazeera that conditions were “extremely difficult” for those trapped in the disaster zone, with destroyed roads leaving them completely isolated.
So far, about 800 people have been rescued by helicopter and 700 by road, with flights delivering critical aid to survivors.
Katrina Yu, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Beijing, said the number of missing is expected to rise. China has deployed around 500 military and paramilitary personnel, with Premier Li Qiang dispatched to oversee rescue operations, while Nepal mobilized 30,000 security personnel to search remote, isolated valleys.
More than 90,000 people are estimated to have been affected by the disaster, according to the Red Cross on Friday, which also said aid deliveries were being blocked by the overflowing lake.
“We are certainly concerned about a secondary flood,” said David Fisher, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Nepal.
