Nepal has issued a fresh flood alert after receiving information of another surge of water from the Tibet side, raising fears of renewed flooding along the Bhote Koshi river.
Nepal Police has urged security personnel, rescue workers and members of the public involved in relief operations to remain on immediate alert and move towards safer locations or warn others about the potential danger.
The warning comes just two days after devastating flash floods swept through central Nepal, killing hundreds and leaving a large number of people missing. Authorities have continued to monitor the Bhote Koshi and downstream river systems amid concerns over further surges.
In an official warning, Nepal Police said information had been received about another water surge from the Tibet side. It appealed to security personnel, rescue workers and members of the public to exercise extreme caution and move to safe areas.
The latest warning has heightened concerns in Rasuwa, where the Bhote Koshi river was severely affected by the earlier flood. Nepalese authorities had already warned people along vulnerable river corridors to stay away from riverbanks amid the risk of another surge.
Nepal’s disaster-management agencies have been closely monitoring downstream water levels as rescue and relief operations continue in areas devastated by the earlier disaster.
According to reports in the Nepalese media, a barrier lake formed in Tibet has breached, raising the possibility of another rise in water levels in the Bhote Koshi river system.
The reports have prompted renewed concern in Rasuwa, with fears that floodwater could again reach downstream areas. The Bhote Koshi flows through Rasuwa before joining the wider river system downstream.
The Nepal Red Cross Society had earlier reported that a major flash flood entered the Bhote Koshi from the Tibet side and warned that rising water levels could affect communities along the Trishuli River corridor.
The fresh warning comes as China has suspended rescue operations near the epicentre of the disaster in Tibet because of the risk of renewed flooding.
According to state media reports, Chinese authorities withdrew rescue personnel to safer areas after a debris-formed lake began overflowing. The lake is continuing to receive water, increasing concerns over a possible breach and another major flood surge.
Chinese authorities are monitoring the lake and assessing ways to reduce the danger, while Nepal remains on alert for any fresh surge reaching the Bhote Koshi and downstream river systems.
