Risk of lake breach after mudslide on China-Nepal border

China's Ministry of Water Resources said that a significant barrier lake has formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola River in Nepal and Purepu Tsangpo River in China, with its water volume estimated at 2 million cubic meters as of Thursday morning and the lake already overflowing.

The ministry said another 3 million cubic meters of water is expected to flow into the lake over the next three days, making the risk of a breach high, China Central Television quoted a source from the ministry as saying on Thursday.

According to the source, the ministry is closely monitoring the lake's development and conducting calculations and analyses on a possible outburst flood to support emergency rescue and relief work.

The lake formation comes after a mudslide that began in Nepal on Wednesday morning and caused heavy casualties and large numbers of missing persons at Gyirong Port in Gyirong county, Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region.

Three people had been confirmed killed, while 558 others remained missing, as of 8 am on Thursday after a mudslide struck the port along the China-Nepal border in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, Xinhua News Agency reported. Two other villagers had been rescued.

Among the missing, 260 have been identified as foreign nationals, according to Norbu Tsering, the first commander of the on-site headquarters, the report added.