The Chinese government on Friday said the collapse of a glacier in\nthe Nepalese highlands is suspected to have triggered the disaster on\nboth sides of the border that has killed at least 480 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe note that experts and official agencies from China and Nepal have\nconducted a preliminary assessment of the cause of the disaster,\u201d\nChinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing\nwhen asked about the flash floods that struck northern and central Nepal\nand southern Tibet on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
President Xi Jinping has directed officials to make every effort to\nlocate all Chinese citizens and foreign nationals who remain\nmissing.<\/p>\n
Floods and landslides struck northern and central Nepal, sweeping\nthrough settlements along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, carrying\npeople and debris downstream.<\/p>\n
On the Chinese side of the border, mudslides hit Gyirong County in\nthe southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region, also known as Tibet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe disaster was likely triggered by the collapse of a glacier in\nthe Nepalese highlands,\u201d Lin said.<\/p>\n
The statement came as the death toll from the devastating flash\nfloods rose to 480, while more than 1,200 people, mostly foreign\nnationals, remain missing.<\/p>\n
Nepalese police said the death toll from the flash floods has reached\n475, while China confirmed five deaths.<\/p>\n
Fresh concerns emerged on Friday after a large dam lake formed by the\nflash floods was reported to have burst and could trigger another surge\nof water into the Bhotekoshi River in Nepal, according to the Kathmandu\nPost newspaper.<\/p>\n
Beijing on Thursday warned that a lake near the confluence of the\nChhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers had \u201calready overflowed\u201d and\nwas at high risk of bursting.<\/p>\n
The two rivers merge before entering Nepal, where the flow is known\nas the Bhotekoshi River, a major tributary of the Trishuli River.<\/p>\n
\u201cInformation has been received that the lake on the Chinese side has\nburst. Therefore, preparations are being made to dispatch helicopters\nstationed in Dhunche and Rasuwa to conduct reconnaissance,\u201d said a\nrescue official at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal.<\/p>\n
Nepal\u2019s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Authority\nsaid water levels in the Bhotekoshi River had risen sharply and warned\nof the possibility of additional flooding.<\/p>\n
However, Nepalese Education Minister Sasmita Pokharel said there was\n\u201cno major risk in the near term,\u201d according to Online Khabar media.<\/p>\n
Nepal\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu said 596 people from\n33 countries remain missing.<\/p>\n
A further 127 Nepalese citizens are also unaccounted for, according\nto the Nepal Tourism Board.<\/p>\n
China said 558 people, including 260 foreign nationals, are missing\nin Tibet as search and rescue operations continue.<\/p>\n
Data shared by the Nepalese and Chinese governments shows around\n1,281 people, including 856 foreign nationals, remain unaccounted\nfor.<\/p>\n
Lin said details regarding the missing foreign nationals are \u201cbeing\nverified\u201d and that Beijing \u201chas notified the embassies of the relevant\ncountries.\u201d<\/p>\n
China\u2019s ruling Communist Party leaders met in Beijing on Friday,\nchaired by President Xi, who stressed that \u201call relevant authorities and\ndepartments must take decisive and effective measures for rescue\nwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChina will provide emergency assistance to disaster-affected areas\nin Nepal and carry out international rescue cooperation,\u201d the meeting\nstated, according to China\u2019s state news agency Xinhua.<\/p>\n
The surge of water on Wednesday caused flooding in the Bhotekoshi\nRiver in Rasuwa, northern Nepal. Meanwhile, flash floods and landslides\nstruck the Timure and Syaphrubesi areas, causing extensive damage before\nthe floodwaters flowed downstream towards the Trishuli River.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/glacier-collapse-in-nepal-suspected-as-trigger-for-devastating-flash-floods-1787932409", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }