Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 28: The death toll in Wednesday’s devastating floods in Nepal rose to 547 with over 1,400 people, including hundreds of foreign nationals, still remained “missing,” while the authorities on Friday issued a fresh flood warning as a barrier lake upstream on the Tibet side of the border broke its banks.
The Nepal Police in a statement said, “Information has been received that a water dam has burst again on the Tibetan side. All security personnel, rescue workers, and the general public deployed in rescue and relief operations are requested to remain alert and immediately move to a safe location/report the incident.”
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) also said the rise in the water level at the same site raised the risk of another flood in the area. “The water level mixed with mud has increased at the same place where the flash flood occurred on Wednesday, and there is a risk of more flooding in the area,” the authority said in a fresh notice.
The NDRRMA urged people involved in search and rescue operations, as well as those staying in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli areas for various reasons, to remain highly alert and immediately move to safer places if they face any risk. On Thursday, Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology had warned of a fresh flood risk downstream of the Bhote Koshi River following the formation of a new barrier lake near the Nepal-China border.
Chinese authorities had informed Nepal that around 2 million cubic metres of water had accumulated in the lake, with another 3 million cubic metres potentially entering it over three days, raising concerns about a possible breach. The lake had formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, which originate in Tibet and flow into Nepal as part of the Bhote Koshi river system.
China temporarily stopped rescue work when a lake made of debris started spilling over, but state media later said the danger was dropping and rescues were back on track. Officials are still trying to figure out if this lake is the same debris dam that Nepal warned had already burst.
A lake formed by immense piles of debris after a mudslide hit the China-Nepal border has begun overflowing towards the area that rescue teams were headed to, state broadcaster CCTV said. “All rescue teams have been ordered to stand by in place and wait for further instructions,” it said. Emergency teams, which had earlier accessed the area, “have been ordered to withdraw one kilometre,” the broadcaster added.
The lake was formed after a wall of mud and debris had hit the border hub of Gyirong in Tibet on Wednesday. The formation of a barrier lake was captured in aerial footage by a Chinese rescue team on Thursday, showing masses of brown water accumulating in a basin with no visible outlet.
The water had already submerged bushes and trees and appeared to push against a barrier of debris and stones at the time. Rescuers and residents on the lower banks in Nepal had already been directed to move to higher ground, and all Chinese personnel and vehicles had also withdrawn to safer areas as risks of the lake bursting and potential secondary disasters such as mountain collapses and avalanches intensified.
As per Nepal’s authorities, foreign nationals from over 30 countries are missing since Wednesday’s tragedy. Of them, 288 are Indians, including 73 people who were working on a power project, and New Delhi is coordinating with Kathmandu is tracing the missing persons and helping the Himalayan nation in the rescue operation, as per the data provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Over 14,000 security personnel have been mobilised for search as rescue operations continue for the third day of the tragic incident and about 3,742 people have been rescued. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a press briefing that 21 Indians had arrived yesterday from the flood-devastated area in Kathmandu.
“In addition to these 21 Indian nationals, yesterday we gave you an update about 63 Indian nationals who are working at the Trishuli One hydropower project. They were also rescued yesterday. In addition to these 21 and 63, we have learned that 96 Indian nationals who were stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed into Nepal by land,” Jaiswal said.
The spokesperson said about 320 Indians and 100 Indian-origin people still remain uncontactable.