Is China suppressing flood information from Tibet side? Nepal says toll crossed 500, Beijing reports 5 deaths

Nepal is keeping a close eye on two lakes located upstream of a flood zone where hundreds lost their lives on Wednesday, according to an official from the country's Disaster Management Authority. The official stated that flood risks will persist until the two lakes have completely drained. On Friday, one of the two lakes began overflowing.

Satellite images revealed the two lakes near the site where a glacier collapse is suspected to have sent rock, ice, mud, and debris cascading into river systems on Wednesday. This caused flood waves that demolished houses and uprooted bridges.

The emergence of one of the two lakes was documented in aerial footage captured by a Chinese rescue team on Thursday. The footage on Thursday depicted masses of brown water gathering in a basin. By Friday, the water in that lake started to recede, as confirmed by fresh satellite imagery. Furthermore, another lake upstream appeared to be expanding in size and had a larger surface area than the first lake as of Friday morning.

However, this second lake lacked a visible outlet, indicating that water pressure might still be mounting.

Nepalese authorities are relying on satellite imagery to monitor the situation, although monitoring is constrained by the availability of images, as per the Nepalese official. To bolster their efforts, Nepal intends to install cameras and sensors downstream, with a focus on the border town of Timure. Authorities are also exploring deployment options via helicopter to enhance their monitoring capabilities.