Mudslide barrier lake risks eliminated

A barrier lake formed by the devastating mudslide on the China-Nepal border has discharged naturally and related risks have been eliminated, Gama Cedain, chairman of the People's Government of Xizang Autonomous Region said on Wednesday.

A fast-moving mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal, struck Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border in southwest China's Xizang, also known as Tibet, on Aug. 26, causing extensive damage and casualties.

Twenty-one people have been confirmed dead and 541 others remain missing, according to the latest official data released at midday on Wednesday.

Gama Cedain, who is also commander of the Emergency Rescue Headquarters for the Disaster and deputy secretary of the Xizang regional committee of the Communist Party of China, said professional teams have been continuing search and rescue efforts in the affected area while guarding against secondary disasters.

"To strictly prevent secondary disasters, a team of 93 experts and technical personnel from relevant domestic fields was organized. They are continuously monitoring secondary collapses, landslides, and debris flows in the barrier lake and the source area of the ice-rock avalanche, while also investigating geological hazards along the road leading to the border gate. Close attention is being paid to changes in precipitation, temperature, and water levels in river basins closely tied to the rescue operations, such as the Purepu Tsangpo, Donglin Tsangpo, and Gyirong Tsangpo rivers, to provide safety guarantees for downstream rescue efforts," he said.

"On August 30, the barrier lake discharged naturally, the risks were eliminated, and the small water bodies formed by the impact of the ice-rock avalanche have also been drained. We have strengthened coordination and pooled efforts from multiple parties. A total of 150 sets of professional equipment have been deployed, including 104 sets of multi-element monitoring devices such as slope radar, integrated radar-video surveillance, UAV aerial surveying, mud and water level sensors, and meteorological monitoring equipment. Through a combination of human and technological prevention, we are closely monitoring the impact of secondary debris flows on downstream areas in the ice-rock avalanche zone under the influence of continuous precipitation, high temperatures, and other weather conditions," said the official.