China has issued a warning of a high risk that a newly formed barrier lake near the Nepal-Tibet border could breach its banks, potentially causing a second flood downstream. The alert follows a deadly flash flood in the same region earlier this week, which scientists believe was triggered by the collapse of a mountain glacier into a river.
Rescuers are concerned about the stability of the barrier lake, fearing it could release a catastrophic surge of water similar to the one that occurred on Wednesday. The initial flood resulted from a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), a phenomenon where water accumulated behind a natural dam of ice and debris suddenly breaks free. The ongoing situation near the Nepal-Tibet border highlights the potential dangers of such events, exacerbated by geological instability.