A lake formed amid the debris from the flash flood that devastated areas of Nepal and Tibet began to overflow on Friday, putting authorities on both sides of the border on alert again. The fear is that the accumulation of millions of cubic meters of water could cause a new flood or mudslide in the same region where the tragedy has already left at least 469 dead on the Nepali side. The total number of dead after the floods and landslides between Nepal and Tibet exceeds 490.
The new risk led to the interruption of part of the search and rescue operations. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, emergency teams advancing toward the worst-hit area were ordered to retreat and remain in safe locations while specialists monitor water levels.
In Nepal, police also issued an alert and advised residents of threatened areas to seek shelter. Flood victims reported seeing their relatives being swept away before their eyes during the disaster.
