A landslide-dammed lake near the Nepal-China border overflowed on Friday, sending people toward higher ground and briefly forcing rescue teams to suspend operations in an area already devastated by a deadly flash flood.
The new danger emerged just two days after a catastrophic disaster killed 489 people in Nepal and five in China’s Tibet, while authorities continued searching for almost 1,000 missing people across the two countries.
The original disaster sent a massive surge of rocks, ice, mud and debris through Himalayan river valleys after a glacier collapse. The event also created a natural reservoir that continued filling with water.
By Friday, authorities estimated that the lake contained more than 2.5 million cubic metres of water, compared with roughly 1.5 million to 2 million cubic metres a day earlier.
Water eventually spilled into the Bhotekoshi River, raising fresh fears among communities downstream.
Residents Rush to Higher Ground
Officials in Nepal’s flood-hit Rasuwa district warned residents about rising river levels after receiving reports that the lake had overflowed.
Narendra Pariyar, the district’s senior bureaucrat, said authorities received information that the lake had broken through its banks. However, officials could not immediately determine the size of the overflow or the exact water level.
As the river began rising, residents moved quickly to safer areas.
Witnesses reported seeing people carrying belongings toward higher ground while authorities warned them to stay away from the river.
Police officers also remained on standby with ropes and stretchers in case residents needed emergency assistance.
Shanti Tamang, a 40-year-old resident, described the panic that spread through the area.
She said people began shouting for everyone to run, while a siren also sounded in Bidur.
Rescue Operations Temporarily Halted
The sudden threat also disrupted the search for survivors.
Nepalese authorities temporarily suspended rescue operations for about 90 minutes before allowing teams to return, according to a Nepal Army officer.
On the Chinese side, rescue personnel and vehicles withdrew to safer locations after authorities assessed the risk from the upstream lake.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV later reported that rescue operations resumed after officials judged the threat from the dammed lake manageable.
The new development has added another layer of danger for rescuers already working through damaged roads, unstable terrain and debris-filled river valleys.
Flood Destroyed Roads and Bridges
Wednesday’s disaster devastated communities along the Himalayan border.
The powerful flood swept through villages and valleys, destroying roads, bridges and power stations along an important route connecting Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet.
The region also attracts large numbers of trekkers and religious pilgrims.
At least 540 foreigners remain among the missing, according to the information provided by authorities. Many are Hindu pilgrims from India who were traveling toward Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet.
Rescue teams have used helicopters to search isolated areas and deliver emergency supplies to people trapped in towns and mountain valleys.
Emergency workers have also recovered bodies that the flood carried downstream.
China Orders Intensified Search
China has ordered authorities to strengthen rescue operations and search for missing people.
China’s Politburo met in Beijing on Friday to discuss the disaster. The meeting, chaired by President Xi Jinping, called for authorities to develop scientific search-and-rescue plans and make every effort to locate missing Chinese and foreign nationals.
Officials also called for closer monitoring of glacier lakes, landslide risks and other natural barriers that could create additional flooding.
The meeting also urged stronger emergency assistance for affected areas in Nepal and greater international cooperation during disasters.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the devastated Gyirong area on Thursday, highlighting the seriousness with which Beijing is treating the disaster.
Survivors Describe Devastation
For many survivors, the scale of the destruction has been almost impossible to comprehend.
Dibga Tamang was among the people rescued from Rasuwa on Thursday. A helicopter carried him and three others to an army camp in Nuwakot.
Tamang said he had lost everyone close to him.
His heartbreaking account reflects the enormous human cost of the disaster as rescue teams continue searching for people who remain missing.
Meanwhile, relatives around the world are desperately waiting for news.
Families of missing foreign tourists have contacted officials, politicians and diplomatic representatives in an effort to locate their loved ones.
Nepal Declines Foreign Rescue Teams
Several countries have offered to send specialist rescue teams to Nepal.
However, the Nepalese government said it currently does not require foreign search-and-rescue personnel.
Lok Bahadur Chhetri, a spokesperson for Nepal’s foreign ministry, said the country’s own security agencies were conducting rescue operations and that foreign assistance was not required for search and rescue at this stage.
A South Korean rapid response team has already arrived in Kathmandu but has not deployed because Nepal has not yet established a plan to accept foreign rescue teams.
Reports say India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have offered assistance.
China’s Border Area Still Difficult to Reach
Rescue operations on the Chinese side have faced major access problems.
Chinese rescuers struggled to reach the worst-hit area around the Gyirong border crossing because debris blocked the main road.
Dramatic footage from the disaster showed torrents of muddy water and debris tearing through buildings and structures within seconds.
Chinese authorities reported 558 people missing in Gyirong County, including 260 foreign nationals. Five deaths had been confirmed on the Chinese side at the time of the report.
The latest figures from Nepal and China may change as rescue workers reach isolated areas and authorities verify reports.
Families Around the World Await News
The disaster has left families in several countries desperate for information.
Sneha Sudhir is among relatives searching for answers. Her husband was traveling with a group from northern Virginia toward Mount Kailash when the disaster struck.
Several American tourists remain missing.
Sudhir said families were supporting one another while contacting officials and people in both the United States and India.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington had offered assistance to Nepal.
He described the destruction as extraordinary, saying powerful buildings appeared to have been swept away almost instantly.
As rescue operations continue, authorities now face two urgent challenges: finding people who remain missing and protecting survivors and rescuers from another possible surge of water.
The overflowing lake has made an already devastating situation even more dangerous, leaving communities along the Bhotekoshi River on alert.
