A landslide-formed, dam-like lake near the Nepal-Tibet border risks a major flood if its banks give way, prompting China to treat the situation as high-risk.
According to a report by state broadcaster CCTV, the lake had accumulated roughly 2.5 million cubic meters of water as of Friday. Such natural reservoirs form when a river’s normal flow is blocked by debris.
China’s Ministry of Water Resources said the lake formed after a landslide at the confluence of the Sochen Khola and Purepu Zangbo rivers. Water has been overflowing from the lake since Thursday.
According to officials’ forecast, another roughly 3 million cubic meters of water could flow into the lake between Thursday and the weekend. This has further raised the risk of the lake’s banks breaching, which could trigger fresh flooding downstream.
Because of the risky conditions, China’s rescue operations were temporarily suspended. Once the situation came somewhat under control, rescue work resumed.