China halts Tibet rescue operation over renewed flood risk

China paused a rescue operation on Friday citing the high risk of renewed flooding in Tibet, where hundreds remain missing two days after a deadly mudslide, state media said.

A lake formed by immense piles of debris after a mudslide hit the China-Nepal border has begun overflowing towards the area that rescue teams were headed, state broadcaster CCTV said.

“All rescue teams have been ordered to stand by in place and wait for further instructions,” it said.

Emergency teams which had earlier accessed the area “have been ordered to withdraw one kilometre (0.6 miles)”, the broadcaster added.

The lake formed after a wall of mud and debris hit the border hub of Gyirong in Tibet on Wednesday, with hundreds reported missing.

CCTV said water levels at the lake were expected to rise over the next three days due to continued rainfall, peaking around September 1.

This increases “the risk of a breach that could send floodwaters downstream and potentially cause further damage in areas including Gyirong Port and elsewhere downstream”, state news agency Xinhua reported late Thursday.

Emergency engineering teams were closely monitoring the situation, said CCTV.

CCTV said that 499 Chinese nationals and 555 foreigners had been transported out of the disaster zone as of Friday.

Rescue workers are using drone-based 3D modelling and thermal imaging detection, as well as manual searches, to locate those still missing, said CCTV.

AFP