Nepal Flood Death Count Rises To 469 Amid Warning Of Catastrophy From Tibet

Over 469 people have been killed and nearly 1,500  are missing after a massive flash flood hit Nepal this week, as authorities in China flagged more geological risk upstream. Beijing has sounded a 'Level-IV' alert at the Tibet-Nepal border, warning that a newly formed barrier lake at the confluence of two rivers faces a high risk of breaching and flooding downstream areas.

China's Ministry of Water Resources sounded an emergency in the Tibet Autonomous Region, cautioning of a threat posed by the barrier lake, which formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers. These rivers originate in Tibet and flow into Nepal as part of the Bhote Koshi river system.

Beijing said the lake has accumulated an estimated two million cubic meters of water as of Thursday morning, and amid continued rainfall in the region, inflows into the lake could reach about three million cubic meters, risking a breach, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

A breach that could send floodwaters downstream and potentially cause further damage in areas including Gyirong Port at the China-Nepal border and elsewhere downstream. China's emergency response system for natural disasters has four levels, with Level-I being the highest and Level IV the lowest.

Floods In Nepal

Rescue teams and military helicopters are searching for hundreds of missing people along the mountainous Nepal-China border, where a deadly torrent of water and mud several stories high swept through communities this week following a glacier collapse.

Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges. More than 469 people were killed, according to authorities in Nepal and China, and 468 were missing, including hundreds of foreigners and pilgrims. Hundreds of others were displaced across the Himalayan region.

The lush valleys of the Himalayan mountain range --home to many of the world's highest peaks and remaining glaciers -- are especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides. Melting glaciers have become more common because of human-caused climate change.

Images showed buildings and streets in Nepal's hard-hit Nuwakot district slathered in mud, debris hanging from trees, and stunned survivors caked in mud. In Tibet's Shigatse prefecture, a two-lane road running along a river was completely buried.

Aerial footage also showed a lake had formed and expanded on the China-Nepal border, with authorities warning of a possible dam break.