China Warns Barrier Lake On Tibet-Nepal Border Could Breach Within 72 Hours

As many as 558 people are reported missing from Tibet after a massive mudslide hit the border area with Nepal, causing devastating flash floods, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported, as authorities in Beijing flagged more geological risk upstream. In addition, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian said that nearly 100 Chinese citizens were missing on the Nepal side. 

The state media, meanwhile, reported that at least three people have also died after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into the Lhende River near Gyirong at the border between the Tibet region and Nepal. The sudden surge of water hit villages and towns along the paths of two rivers -- Bhote Kosi and Trishuli -- triggering a flash flood that killed at least 177 people downstream in Nepal, left hundreds missing, and washed away houses, roads, and power projects.

CCTV reported that surrounding villages within danger zones on the Tibetan side have been evacuated and two villagers have been rescued.

China Flags New Risk

Authorities in Beijing have also identified a risk from a barrier lake upstream from the Himalayan border crossing that could complicate rescue efforts, CCTV reported.

According to the state media, China's Ministry of Water Resources has increased monitoring and assessment of the lake, located at the intersection of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers northeast of the disaster site. The move has reportedly been taken to support rescue activity and prevent secondary events.

The barrier lake, with its water volume estimated at 2 million cubic meters as of Thursday, is already overflowing. Another 3 million cubic meters of water is expected to flow into the lake over the next three days, China Central Television reported.

China has, meanwhile, mobilised fire and rescue teams from Beijing and Chengdu to aid local police and armed forces in relief efforts. 

While electricity supply and communication resumed in the central urban areas in Gyirong town, those linked to the port were cut off, it said.

The disaster in Nepal and Tibet is not a one-off. The increasingly unstable Himalayan ice system threatens communities, infrastructure, and water supplies across one of the world's most densely populated regions.

The region saw similar flash floods in August 2025, when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures. Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.