Kathmandu, August 27, 2026 — China’s Ministry of Water Resources has issued an urgent warning over a large barrier lake formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers in Nepal, saying the natural dam faces a high risk of breaching within the next 72 hours.
According to the report, hydrogeologists estimated that the lake held around 2 million cubic metres of water as of Thursday morning. A further 3 million cubic metres could flow into the natural dam over the next three days, potentially increasing the risk of an outburst.
Chinese authorities are conducting real-time flood simulations to support emergency response operations and assess the potential impact of another flood downstream.
The warning comes as Nepal continues to deal with the devastating consequences of Wednesday’s flash floods along the Bhote Koshi River corridor. The reported death toll has reached 270, while search and rescue teams continue to recover victims from affected areas.
Personnel from the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police have been deployed for search and rescue operations. Authorities recovered 121 bodies from the Narayani River alone by Thursday afternoon.
