Nepal evacuates Trishuli as Tibet barrier lake breaches, flood fear

Fears of fresh floods in Nepal after breach reported in barrier lake in Tibet, evacuation of citizens on

Kathmandu, August 28

Kathmandu post reported that Rasuwa Chief District Officer Narendra Pariyar said that the Nepali Army had just informed him that the lake had breached.

People in the Trishuli area of Nepal were evacuated again as a heavy flow of water from above has threatened to raise the river's water level, Nepal Police stated after an earthquake jolted Longchang City in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Nepal Police said that a dam on the Tibet side has burst again.

"Information has been received that the water dam on the Tibet side has burst again. Therefore, all security personnel, rescue workers involved in rescue and relief operations, and the general public are requested to remain immediately alert and move to safe locations or notify others," Nepal Police posted on X.

The Chinese Government had warned that the lake, formed by flooding near the confluence was already overflowing and faced a high risk of breaching as more water flowed into it.

According to the Kathmandu Post report an official at the Rescue Coordination Centre at Tribhuvan International Airport said helicopters already stationed in Dhunche and other parts of Rasuwa would be deployed for the reconnaissance.

The official said."Information has come that the lake on the Chinese side has breached. So, preparations are underway to send helicopters stationed in Dhunche and Rasuwa for reconnaissance."

China's Ministry of Water Resources had estimated the lake's volume at about 2 million cubic metres as of Thursday morning. Another 3 million cubic metres of water was expected to enter the lake over the following three days, according to the Global Times.

The Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo originate in Tibet and merge before crossing into Nepal, where the river is known as the Bhotekoshi.

Nepal Police have now begun evacuating people from Trishuli. A police official told ANI that all forms of work, including the rebuilding of the roads in the region, have halted.

Nepal Police officer P Chaudhary said, "The water level is about to rise, so everyone is being stopped. The vehicles that were engaged in the operation are all returning. They are all coming back. Everyone is being evacuated from there and is being taken to a safe location. All the work has stopped. Even worse flooding is yet to come; that is why everyone is being put on alert."

Authorities involved in rescue operations have so far recovered 475 bodies, raising the death toll from the devastating Bhotekoshi flood, which occurred on Wednesday, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The Nepal Tourism Board said on Thursday night that 667 tourists and travellers, including 127 Nepal's residents, were still missing in areas affected by the floods.

— ANI