The specter of a lake shaped after a glacier collapse bursting close to the China-Nepal border, the place a devastating flood struck earlier this week, has eased, Chinese language authorities mentioned on Saturday (August 29, 2026), because it seems to have shrunk.
Satellite tv for pc pictures from Thursday (August 27, 2026) to Saturday (August 29, 2026) morning counsel that water within the lake, which straddles the border between China’s Tibet area and Nepal on the confluence of two rivers, has been slowly flowing out and step by step lowering the reservoir, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the Water Sources Ministry.
By Saturday afternoon (August 29, 2026), elements of the lake mattress had grow to be seen, CCTV reported. The ministry mentioned satellite tv for pc imagery of the lake on the Purepu Tsangpo River confirmed it coated 99,000 sq. metres (1.1 million sq. ft) early on Saturday (August 29, 2026), roughly the dimensions of 14 soccer pitches, having shrunk by 21,000 sq. metres since Thursday (August 27, 2026).
A glacier collapse on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) despatched a torrent of rock, ice, mud and particles by Himalayan river techniques, sweeping away a border port complicated linking Tibet with Nepal, killing tons of and leaving 1000’s lacking.
Dangers below watch
Specialists and authorities have warned of an especially excessive danger of secondary disasters within the valley, notably from the lake shaped by glacier particles, which might threaten rescue operations downstream.
With water draining naturally, Water Sources Ministry consultants mentioned search and rescue operations downstream might proceed safely if outflows stay low or manageable and recede fully inside two to a few days.
Rescue employees might be notified promptly to evacuate if any abnormalities seem on the lake, with warnings issued greater than half-hour upfront, CCTV cited the consultants as saying.
State-owned engineering and rescue firm China Anneng, which has been monitoring the lake since Thursday (August 27, 2026), has deployed radar and drones across the lake for 24-hour surveillance, CCTV mentioned.
Preliminary overflow from the lake on Friday (August 28, 2026) briefly halted rescue work earlier than a subsequent evaluation deemed the dangers manageable.
Authorities have additionally flagged one other, bigger physique of water on the foot of the glacier collapse.
“We estimate its space to be over 120,000 sq. metres, however its depth is presently unknown,” mentioned Chen Hongqi, a senior engineer on the Ministry of Pure Sources’ Geological Catastrophe Technical Steerage Heart.
Flood dangers will stay till each lakes have absolutely drained, an official with Nepal’s Catastrophe Administration Authority has mentioned.
Searching for survivors
In bleak, wet circumstances on Saturday (August 29, 2026) morning, greater than 50 rescue employees combed by rubble of boulders and dirt, searching for indicators of life and calling out for survivors, CCTV reported.
Danger from above: On the Nepal flood
The primary rescue group and a search canine reached the Gyirong border crossing complicated on Friday (August 28, 2026) afternoon and located it diminished to ruins.
Harmful circumstances on the primary catastrophe zone, compounded by broken roads and disrupted communications, proceed to hamper Chinese language aid efforts, state information company Xinhua mentioned.
Forecasts present intermittent rain within the space over the following three days.
Authorities are racing to reopen a key freeway resulting in the border port. By Saturday (August 29, 2026) afternoon, crews had superior inside about 1.5 km (0.93 miles) of the positioning. China’s loss of life toll rose to seven early on Saturday (August 29, 2026), with 554 folks nonetheless lacking.
Practically 500 villagers and building employees, together with 555 vacationers within the space, have been evacuated, Xinhua mentioned.
Trigger nonetheless unclear
The reason for the collapse stays unclear, however local weather consultants say world warming might be an element. “We’re nonetheless unsure whether or not it was triggered by an earthquake or … by heat temperatures melting the glacier,” mentioned Benjamin Horton, dean of the College of Vitality and Setting on the Metropolis College of Hong Kong.
Movies shared on social media and verified by Reuters present the decrease part of the glacier close to the Langtang Lirung mountain peak breaking away and plunging into the valley under, triggering an avalanche of ice and rock and an enormous landslide. “One of many the explanation why we don’t absolutely perceive the mechanisms that trigger the landslide is that now we have a scarcity of information. So there must be this funding within the science; there must be this funding in society,” Horton mentioned.
Printed – August 29, 2026 05:23 pm IST
