New Delhi. Amid the massive flood and tragedy that occurred a day ago on the northern border of the neighboring country Nepal i.e. the Tibet-Nepal border, now the threat of another severe natural disaster is looming. Chinese officials have issued a warning that a barrier lake (a lake formed by a natural dam) built in the upper part of this border area may break within the next 72 hours. This lake is located at the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, which is constantly monitored by the Ministry of Water Resources of China.
Authorities in Beijing have identified risks associated with a barrier lake upstream of the Himalayan border crossing, which could complicate rescue operations, China's state broadcaster CCTV reported. China's Ministry of Water Resources has stepped up monitoring and assessment of the lake, located at the confluence of the Chaochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, northeast of the disaster site, according to state media. This step has been taken to help in rescue operations and to prevent any further incidents.
CCTV reports said that as of Thursday, the amount of water in this barrier lake was estimated to be around 20 lakh cubic meters and it is already overflowing. Considering the weather conditions, it is feared that about 30 lakh cubic meters of water may enter the lake in the next three days, due to which the risk of its dam breaking has become very serious. This can once again cause huge devastation in Nepal. Chinese officials have issued a warning for the next 72 hours.
Even before this new threat, massive landslides and floods in the Nepal-Tibet border area have caused huge devastation. At least 558 people are reported missing from the Tibet region. According to China's Foreign Ministry, about 100 Chinese citizens are also missing on the Nepalese side of the border. At least 332 people have died in Nepal so far and hundreds are missing due to this devastating flood that occurred suddenly on Wednesday morning. Many houses, roads and power projects have been washed away in the strong flood currents. Three people have died after mud and rocks fell into the Lhende river in Gyirong near the border.
In view of the danger, sensitive villages in the Tibetan region have been evacuated. China has dispatched special fire-fighting and rescue teams from Beijing and Chengdu to help local police and military. At present, electricity and communication services have been restored in the central urban parts of Jiarong town, but areas connected to the port are still completely cut off. The crisis once again highlights the dangers of the Himalayan region's unstable ice system.
This disaster in Nepal and Tibet is not an isolated incident. The Himalaya's destabilizing ice system is threatening communities, infrastructure and water supplies in one of the world's most densely populated regions. A similar flash flood occurred in the region in August 2025, when high temperatures caused a glacial lake in Tibet to overflow. Nine people were killed and vital infrastructure, including the bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.