Nepal-China flood rescue on hold as lake breaks banks

The death toll from the Himalayan flash floods has climbed to 469, with more than 1,000 still missing. Meanwhile, authorities warn an overflowing lake formed by debris could trigger a second wave of flooding. A lake formed by a landslide on the Nepal-China border began overflowing on Friday, threatening areas already devastated by this week's flash floods and halting rescue efforts, authorities said. "We have received a notice saying that the lake has broken its banks," Narendra Pariyar, the most senior bureaucrat of the hard-hit Rasuwa district, told DW. "We can see that the level of water in the river is rising." Residents in Nepal's border district of Rasuwa were seen fleeing up hillsides as they braced for a surge in river levels, Reuters reported. Due to the risk of the lake bursting, all Chinese rescue personnel were told to withdraw to a safe area, state broadcaster CCTV said. Nepal authorities also paused rescue operations for the next 90 minutes, an army official told Reuters.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open DW World ↗