Chinese authorities warned that a lake formed by a mudslide near the Nepal-Tibet border faces a high risk of breaching in the coming days, potentially sending additional floodwaters into communities already devastated by the initial disaster. The warning has added urgency to ongoing search and rescue operations across the region.
The debris dam created by the mudslide could overflow as rainfall continues, with forecasts predicting inflows of about 3 million cubic meters over three days. Authorities warned that a breach could send floodwaters downstream toward areas including Gyirong Port and surrounding communities. Nepali police instructed residents in flood-affected areas to move to higher ground in preparation for a possible second wave of flooding.
However, Chinese officials later indicated that the danger had gradually decreased as conditions evolved. The situation remains fluid, with both Nepal and China monitoring developments closely as rescue teams work to locate missing persons while preparing for potential renewed flooding.
The initial flash floods triggered by a glacier collapse have proven catastrophic. More than 390 people have been confirmed dead across both sides of the border, with authorities reporting at least 1,400 people missing. The Red Cross estimates that approximately 93,000 people may have been affected by the disaster.
Foreign nationals make up a significant portion of the missing. Nepal's disaster authority reported more than 500 foreigners unaccounted for in Nepal alone, including 177 from India, 90 from the United States, 39 from Australia, 33 from the United Kingdom, and 25 from Canada. Chinese state media reported at least 260 foreign nationals missing on the Tibet side of the border, though no breakdown of nationalities was provided.
The scale of physical damage has complicated search efforts considerably. Nepali officials reported that dozens of bridges were destroyed and nearly 40 kilometers of roads damaged across the affected region. The Nepalese army has rescued more than 100 people by helicopter and evacuated people trapped inside facilities linked to the Trishuli hydropower project, with dozens of injured transported to Kathmandu for medical care.
China's Premier Li Qiang arrived in Gyirong on Thursday to direct rescue efforts, bringing 500 military and paramilitary personnel to assist operations. The Nepal Red Cross Society has shifted its focus from rescue to large-scale relief operations in the hardest-hit districts. The United Nations released 2 million dollars from its central emergency response fund to support medical care, shelter, and water provision.
The Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal for 31 million dollars to respond to the disaster. The precarious situation in this mountainous region highlights the vulnerability of Himalayan communities to natural hazards intensified by unstable terrain and the cascading effects such disasters can have across international borders.