Nepal News: Following the devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border, the threat of another flood now looms. The lake formed by glacial debris has reached over 2.5 million cubic meters of water and is beginning to overflow. Anticipating the danger, China has sent rescue teams and vehicles to safety. The Trishuli area in Nepal has also been evacuated.

Nepal New Flash Flood Alert: Following Wednesday's flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border, another major threat has emerged. A glacier burst blocked the river, creating a lake. The water level is steadily rising, and it is now reported to be overflowing. The debris has breached a dam on the Tibetan side. The danger has become so severe that China has suspended rescue operations in Tibet and moved its rescue workers and vehicles from the affected area to safety. The water is expected to reach Nepal within the next two hours, prompting an evacuation of riverside areas in Nepal as well. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan province a few hours ago. Nepal police have urged residents and rescue teams to immediately evacuate after receiving reports of another dam breach on the Tibetan side.

Flood debris poses new threat

On August 26th, a sudden, powerful torrent of water, ice, rocks, and debris swept through the Nepal-China border. Roads, bridges, buildings, and settlements were quickly swept away. Hundreds of people died in the devastation, and a large number are missing. Following the flood, massive mountain debris accumulated in the river's path, forming a large lake behind the water. This lake has now become a source of renewed concern. According to a Chinese engineering team, the lake held approximately 1.5 to 2 million cubic meters of water on Thursday. This has now increased to over 2.5 million cubic meters, and water is beginning to overflow.

China called back the rescue team

The increasing pressure of the lake has raised concerns among officials. The biggest fear is that if the natural dam formed by debris suddenly breaks, the accumulated water will rush downstream. Furthermore, there is a danger of landslides and avalanches in the surrounding hills. For this reason, China has evacuated all its rescue personnel and vehicles from the danger zone and placed them on standby in a safe location. This means that the teams that were originally supposed to rescue people trapped in the flood have now had to retreat to avoid the flood itself.

Preparations to drain the lake

China has deployed an eight-member engineering team to assess the situation. Using aerial surveys and 3D modeling, the team is attempting to understand how rapidly the lake's water is rising and how strong the natural debris wall is. The engineers' primary option is to construct a drainage channel to drain the water. This would allow the lake's water to drain slowly and reduce the risk of flash floods.

Nepal again evacuated the area

Following reports of a dam breach on the Tibetan side, Nepal Police began evacuating people in the Trishuli area on Friday. Police also urged security personnel, workers, and the public involved in relief and rescue operations to remain vigilant. According to a police officer, ongoing work in the area was halted due to the potential for rising water levels, and vehicles were sent back. This means that many activities, from road construction to relief operations, have been halted.

Concerns rise after Sichuan earthquake

Meanwhile, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Longchang City, in China's southwestern Sichuan Province. Following this, an alert was raised in Nepal. Although the earthquake occurred in flood-affected areas, the already unstable mountainous terrain and rising water levels have raised concerns.

PC: Hindi News18