Satellites help detect secondary disasters

A disaster relief group formed by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has spotted a number of serious secondary disasters in Nepal, which was hit by a devastating earthquake in late April.

Over the weekend, Chinese scientists analyzed data sent from Gaofen 1, a high-resolution Chinese satellite, and located several new hazards including mudslides, landslides and barrier lakes.

Among these, the most severe took place in the Rasuwa region, with many landslides spotted along the slopes of the China-Nepal Highway and a 0.3 square kilometer barrier lake threatening downstream villages.