Barrier lake risk 'manageable': China, Nepal resume rescue operations
What's the story
Rescue operations have resumed downstream after they were briefly suspended, triggered by concerns over rising water from a barrier lake near the Nepal-Tibet border. The Chinese state broadcaster, CCTV, earlier warned that a dammed lake upstream of the Gyirong border port had begun to overflow, adding fresh risks of flooding. However, both Chinese and Nepalese authorities have now resumed their rescue efforts, with China's state broadcaster saying the flood risk had been assessed as "manageable."
Flood threat
Barrier lake formation captured in aerial footage
A Chinese rescue team had filmed the formation of a barrier lake in aerial footage on Thursday, state broadcaster CGTN reported.
The footage showed brown water collecting in a basin with no visible outlet. The water had already buried the bushes and trees and appeared to be pushing against a barrier of debris and stones.
Both Nepal and China had both issued warnings about the increased flood risk.
Weather warning
Chinese ministry warns of worsening threat
The Chinese water resources ministry warned that rainfall in the coming week will worsen the threat.
Zhu Jinfeng, a researcher at the ministry's hydrology department, told state broadcaster CCTV, "the volume of water is continuing to increase, and so is the risk."
In light of this warning, some rescue workers in Nepal had started moving to higher ground for safety.
Local response
Nepal's Rasuwa district officials alerted
Nepal's Rasuwa district officials have been alerted about the lake's overflowing.
Narendra Pariyar, the district's senior bureaucrat, said they have received a notice saying a lake has broken its banks.
He noted that while river levels are rising, it's unclear how high they currently are.
As of Friday evening, the floods have claimed at least 538 people and left more than 977 people missing, Nepal's disaster authority said.