Rescue operations for survivors of the catastrophic flash flood along the Nepal-China border have been temporarily suspended as a 'barrier lake' formed during the disaster begins to overflow, raising fears of a second deadly wave.
Chinese rescue teams and vehicles were forced to retreat to safe ground, according to state broadcaster CCTV, as the risk of the lake bursting increased. Nepalese authorities also paused search operations for 90 minutes, an army officer confirmed. The barrier lake was created Wednesday when the flash flood carried massive amounts of mud and debris down a steep valley, damming the river.
In Nepal's Rasuwa district, bordering Tibet, residents were seen scrambling up hillsides to escape potential surges in the river level, reported Reuters. The disaster unfolded when a glacier collapsed, sending a torrent of ice, water, rock, and mud through Himalayan valleys, burying entire villages and destroying roads, bridges, and hydropower plants.
The lake's volume swelled to over 2.5 million cubic meters by Friday, up from an estimated 1.5 to 2 million cubic meters a day earlier. China has deployed an engineering team for aerial surveys and 3D modeling. Nepalese officials received warnings that the lake had begun breaching its banks, according to Narendra Pariyar, the top administrator in Rasuwa district. 'We can see that the level of water in the river is rising,' he said.
The death toll has surpassed 470. On Friday, the Nepalese prime minister's office reported 469 confirmed deaths, with 977 people still missing. About 1,550 people have been rescued. Chinese authorities reported at least five deaths in Tibet, with 558 missing.
Bishal Nath Upreti, president of the Nepal Centre for Disaster Management, told Al Jazeera that conditions are 'extremely difficult' for those trapped, as destroyed roads have left them completely cut off. So far, about 800 people have been rescued by helicopter and 700 by land, with airlifts delivering vital aid.
Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said the number of missing is expected to rise. China has deployed about 500 military personnel and sent Premier Li Qiang to supervise operations, while Nepal has deployed 30,000 security personnel. More than 90,000 people are estimated to have been affected, said the Red Cross, adding that relief delivery is blocked by the overflowing lake. 'We're of course very concerned about the secondary flood,' said David Fisher, head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Nepal.
Source: www.aljazeera.com