Newly formed glacial lake raises flood fears along Nepal-China border

Rescue efforts continued Friday in the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China as authorities warned that a newly formed lake could trigger additional flooding. The warning comes just days after a catastrophic flash flood devastated downstream areas, leaving hundreds dead and more than 1,500 people missing.

Nepalese authorities have placed all security personnel, rescue workers, and civilians involved in relief operations on high alert. Nepal police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle confirmed that operations remain ongoing despite the elevated risk. "It hasn’t stopped," he stated, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

Satellite imagery from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV suggests that the newly formed lake is located in the same area where a glacial detachment occurred on Wednesday, initiating the chain reaction that led to the recent disaster. Nepal’s disaster management authority reported that the river has been blocked upstream, creating a growing lake that could burst and cause sudden downstream flooding.

CCTV reported Friday morning that the lake’s natural barrier was situated more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Gyirong Port, the border crossing with Nepal that was inundated by mud and floodwaters. The lake sits at an elevation of 2,950 meters (9,680 feet), roughly 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above Gyirong Port.

Climate scientists monitoring the Himalayan region noted that Wednesday’s glacial collapse has led to the formation of several small water bodies due to debris obstructing water flow. Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development in Kathmandu, explained, "Another dammed lake was formed by the August 26 ice-rock avalanche, and this has begun to outflow."

This newly formed lake holds several million cubic meters of water—equivalent to about 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools—and is situated in a valley with a limited elevation drop to downstream areas, increasing the risk of sudden flooding if the natural dam fails.

Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist at the University of Graz in Austria based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, warned that glacial melt due to high temperatures is causing water to accumulate in various locations along the river’s path. He noted that while another catastrophic flash flood like the one on Wednesday is unlikely, the situation remains dangerous.

Both Zhang and Steiner emphasized the need for caution, acknowledging that many rescuers are operating in high-risk conditions while searching for missing individuals.

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