As three days of rain are forecast across China's Tibet, which borders Nepal where a Himalayan landslide caused mass casualties, concerns are rising that the risk posed by barrier lakes (lakes formed when rivers are dammed by landslides, etc.) could grow.
According to China Central Television (CCTV) on the 31st, China's meteorological agency forecast 10–35 millimeters of accumulated rainfall over three days in Gyirong, Rikaze, Tibet. The agency said road surfaces could be slippery on sections from Gyirong County to the Gyirong port of entry due to rain and urged rescue vehicles to drive safely.
It added, "Continued rainfall could raise river and lake levels and somewhat increase the risk of barrier lakes," noting, "It is necessary to keep watching the effects of the rain on rescue work and traffic."
According to the report, the Ministry of Natural Resources of China is conducting focused investigations into risk factors at the glacier collapse site, barrier lakes, and along waterways. The investigation found more than 60 potential geological hazard sites, and an initial assessment classified eight of them as high risk.
According to the Chinese side's announcement, the disaster occurred on the 26th when glaciers and rocks collapsed at about 5,200 meters above sea level within Nepalese territory, forming a debris flow. In about six to seven minutes, the debris flow swept roughly 22 kilometers and reached Gyirong, Rikaze, Tibet, China.
According to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, as of that morning at least 903 people had died and 4,247 were missing in Nepal. In China's Tibet, as of the afternoon of the 29th, 16 people were dead and 546 were missing.