Nepal lake formed after flash flood breaks banks, water level rising

Kathmandu, Nepal — Rescue operations were temporarily halted on Friday due to concerns that a newly formed, overflowing lake could lead to additional flooding in regions affected by a severe flash flood along the Himalayan border between Nepal and China. Rescue teams were combing through mud and debris in search of hundreds of people still unaccounted for as the death toll continued to rise.

Nepal's police reported that the country's death toll had increased to 469, up from 390 the previous day, as more bodies were recovered amidst the rubble. China has not updated its figures, which indicate only three fatalities in Tibet. Collectively, both countries have stated that over 1,500 individuals are missing. Nepalese and Chinese authorities cautioned of further flooding due to an upstream lake, created by a dam composed of huge accumulations of debris from the Wednesday disaster, that was overflowing.

They advised residents in potentially impacted areas to relocate to safer locations. China's Ministry of Water Resources stated that the lake contained approximately 70 million cubic feet of water and was anticipated to receive an additional 106 million cubic feet over the course of three days. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday morning that the lake's barrier was situated more than six miles away from Gyirong Port, the border crossing with Nepal that was submerged by mud and floodwater.

CCTV indicated that the lake was positioned at an elevation of 9,680 feet, which is about 3,280 feet higher than Gyirong Port. The Nepal Army sent a team to the border point to assess the Bhotekoshi River in anticipation of more floods. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that 3,253 individuals had been airlifted by helicopter from the affected area in Nepal.

Flood survivors, including injured people, were transported to Kathmandu and other locations. Among the missing were foreigners from various nations, many of whom were trekkers and pilgrims. Hikmat Singh Ayer, CEO and senior director of the Nepal Tourism Board, informed CBS News that at least 65 American nationals were among the missing foreign nationals in the small Himalayan nation, nearly doubling the number of U.S. nationals reported missing the day before.

In a later update, the tourism board stated that 27 foreign nationals had been rescued from the flood zone in Rasuwa district, including a man and a woman in their 50s. The U.S. State Department acknowledged being aware of about 90 Americans who may be affected by the floods and continued to closely monitor the situation, revealing that three U.S. citizens had been successfully rescued, with no reported U.S. deaths.

The Nepali Army spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, stated that a team had been dispatched on Friday to the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project near the Nepal-China border following reports of people trapped inside a tunnel. Accessing and exiting the tunnel was challenging due to the extensive mud covering everything. Basnet emphasized that rescuing the stranded individuals was their top priority.

Videos of the disaster depicted floodwaters demolishing buildings, bridges, and vehicles as people ran in front of the towering torrent. In the aftermath, broken concrete was strewn upended across expansive brown mud that also coated buildings and submerged streets. Customs officer Karbir Gaire was among the survivors in Timure, the Nepalese village closest to the border with China.

Gaire had been working at his office when the disaster struck, recalling that right after the tremor, he observed a dark storm heading their way. He and his 15 colleagues swiftly ran uphill on the opposite side of their building. Gaire described the event as resembling a Hollywood movie scene, adding that he does not refer to it as a flood but rather a tsunami.

He described Timure as a bustling place teeming with government offices, hotels, cafes, banks, primary schools, tea shops, and residential buildings, where over 1,500 people resided. Rajan Tamang, a restaurant owner in New York City, shared with The Associated Press that his mother and sister were among those who perished, while many other relatives and friends remained missing.

Tamang recounted that his family was just waking up when the flood arrived, leaving them without any information. Some of them are missing, some of them lost their life and only a few is alive, he expressed in the aftermath of a vigil in New York. Vishnuram Ramaswamy, who works in Puducherry, India, said he last spoke to his mother and two sisters, who were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash on Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock.

His mother had mentioned they were heading towards the border area and expected to reach their hotel and call them back. Since then, they have been unreachable. Ramaswamy expressed that this was the first time they had undertaken this pilgrimage and it was something his mother had always desired to do. Some of the missing may have been participating in a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus, Buddhists, and others.

The Nepal Tourism Board reported that more than 500 foreigners were among the missing. President Trump alluded to the flooding.