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China suspends Tibet rescue operation over fresh flooding risk
China has temporarily suspended a rescue operation in Tibet after authorities warned of the danger of renewed flooding in the area where a deadly mudslide left hundreds of people missing.
State media reported on Friday that a lake formed by huge amounts of debris from the mudslide, which struck near the China-Nepal border, had started overflowing.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the rising water was moving towards the area where rescue teams were preparing to search for survivors, creating a serious safety risk.
The operation was halted two days after the mudslide, as emergency workers faced difficult conditions while continuing efforts to locate those still missing.
“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.
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