TRISHULI, Nepal / BEIJING, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Nepal and China warned on Thursday of renewed flood risks in the Himalayas, as two lakes formed on either side of their border threatened to burst while the region continued to recover from this week's catastrophic flooding.
Search and rescue operations remained underway in debris-strewn valleys and hillsides, with nearly 1,000 people still missing after Wednesday's disaster struck border areas of Nepal and China's Tibet, killing at least 362 people.
The countries have attributed the flooding to a glacier collapse that sent huge amounts of rock, ice, mud and debris into river systems across the mountains.
Nepal's disaster management authority warned that a lake formed by debris blocking a river at the flood site was rising and could burst.
It urged residents living along lower riverbanks, as well as passengers and rescue workers, to stay away from rivers and other high-risk areas.
China issued a similar warning, saying about 3 million cubic metres of water — equivalent to roughly 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools — was expected to flow into an already dammed lake on its side of the border over the next three days.
Chinese authorities said the additional water could create a high risk of the lake breaching, with peak flows expected around September 1.
"The volume of water is continuing to increase, and so is the risk," Zhu Jinfeng, a researcher with China's water resources ministry, told state broadcaster CCTV.
Aerial footage released by Chinese state media showed brown water accumulating behind a barrier of debris and stones, with vegetation already submerged and no visible outlet from the newly formed lake.
MORE RAIN EXPECTED
The threat could worsen with more rain forecast across the region over the coming week, Chinese state media reported, citing the country's water resources ministry.
Some rescue workers in Nepal began moving to higher ground after receiving warnings about the potential danger.
Pawan Koirala, who was working with a team of 13 rescuers, said they moved away from the riverbed after being alerted to the rising risk.
"We are here for rescue and don't want to be near the danger zone," he said.
The fresh warnings come as rescuers continue searching for survivors from Wednesday's devastating floods, which swept through mountain communities and infrastructure along a key route connecting Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet.
The disaster left roads and bridges impassable and cut off communities in some of the worst-hit areas.
Officials in both countries have warned that the full scale of the destruction is still being assessed as rescue and relief operations continue.
Posted by: AAngeles/NET25 News
