Nepal and China on Thursday warned of new flood risks in the Himalayas, as there is a threat that a lake formed on their border could burst, in a region still grappling with this week's catastrophic flooding, UNN writes, citing Reuters.
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Search and rescue operations are still under way, with nearly 1,000 people still considered missing after flooding struck the border regions of Nepal and Tibet (China) on Wednesday. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry told the media in a comment that at least 56 Ukrainians went missing in the area.
According to Xinhua, the death toll from the floods in Nepal has risen to 469, according to local police.
Both countries blamed the flooding on a glacial collapse that swept rocks, ice, mud and debris into river systems in the mountains.
Nepal's Disaster Management Authority issued a notice on Thursday warning that the lake formed by debris blocking the river at the site of the flood is rising and could burst.
"Residents of the lower banks... passengers, rescuers involved in rescue operations, and all stakeholders are asked to exercise extreme caution and remain in safe places away from riverbanks and hazardous areas," the agency said.
China warned that over the next three days, the lake is expected to receive 3 million cubic meters of water — the equivalent of approximately 1,200 Olympic swimming pools — creating a high risk of a breach, with the peak expected around September 1.
The formation of the barrier lake was recorded in aerial footage by a Chinese rescue team on Thursday, state broadcaster CGTN reported.
The video shows masses of brown water accumulating in a basin with no visible outlet. The water has already inundated bushes and trees and appeared to be pressing against a barrier of debris and rocks.
The forecast of precipitation for the coming week will heighten the threat, Chinese state media reported, citing China's Ministry of Water Resources.
"The volume of water continues to rise, as does the risk," Zhu Jinfeng, a researcher in the ministry's hydrology department, told state broadcaster CCTV.
In light of the warning, some rescuers in Nepal began moving to higher ground on Thursday.