Mayhem continued to unfold along the Nepal-Tibet border on Friday as floods and landslides wreaked havoc across the region, with another lake bursting near the confluence of the Chochen and Purupu Sangpo rivers in the noon.

Notably, China had warned a day earlier that the lake could burst. Following the breach, water levels began rising rapidly, forcing authorities to suspend relief and rescue operations in Nepal’s Rasuwa district for 90 minutes.

With the threat mounting, several villages located along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers are being evacuated. Security personnel and local residents have also been instructed to move to safer locations immediately.

China halts rescue operations, issues Level-4 alert

China has also suspended relief and rescue operations in Tibet amid fears of further flooding and issued a Level-4 alert. Authorities fear another bout of flooding could worsen the situation in the affected areas.

Floods and landslides have so far claimed 478 lives in Nepal and Tibet, while more than 1,500 people remain missing. Around 290 Indian nationals are reportedly among those unaccounted for.

In Nepal, 475 deaths have been confirmed, while 977 people remain missing. The missing include 517 foreign nationals, 45 Nepal Army personnel and 41 Nepal Police personnel.

In Tibet, three people have died and 558 remain missing, including 260 foreign nationals.

China cites glacier collapse as possible cause

China on Friday said the sudden floods that struck Nepal on Wednesday may have been triggered by the collapse of a glacier in a high-altitude area. The incident led to a sudden surge in the flow of the Bhote Koshi river, causing widespread devastation along a large stretch of the Nepal-Tibet border.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Chinese and Nepalese experts and government agencies had conducted an initial assessment. Their preliminary findings indicated that a glacier collapse in a high-altitude region could have been the possible cause of the disaster.

Xi Jinping convenes meeting to review situation

Chinese President Xi Jinping convened a Communist Party meeting on Friday to review the flood situation along the Tibet-Nepal border. The meeting focused on stepping up relief and rescue operations and ensuring that affected people were moved to safer locations.

Xi and other senior leaders observed a minute’s silence in tribute to those killed in the disaster. Authorities also resolved to make every possible effort to locate missing Chinese and foreign nationals.

Families wait outside relief centres for missing relatives

In Nepal, relatives of missing people gathered outside Army relief centres on Friday, desperately searching for information about their loved ones.

Sheets of paper bearing the names and dates of birth of missing people have been pasted on walls, while some relatives have handed soldiers the names and phone numbers of family members they have been unable to contact.

According to Army General Rajaram Basnet, around 900 people were rescued from Timure and Syaphrubesi in Rasuwa on Thursday. The group included 119 foreign nationals; 92 Indians, 13 Chinese, eight South Koreans, two Italians and two Americans.

However, hundreds of Nepali nationals remain missing. Some people have alleged that greater attention was being given to rescuing foreign nationals.

Basnet said he had never witnessed a disaster of such magnitude before. With more rain expected in the coming days, rescue and relief operations could face even greater challenges.