[Anchor]
The largest barrier lake—formed when a landslide blocked a river, sparking fears of a secondary flood—fortunately found its water naturally clearing a path. However, the danger remains as additional barrier lakes have been captured in satellite photos.
Reporting from Beijing, here is Choi Go-un.
[Reporter]
This is a photo captured by China's radar observation satellite piercing through thick clouds.
There is a dark-looking area close to the northern slope of Langtang Lirung, where the glacier collapsed.
It is presumed to be a newly formed barrier lake.
It is located about 5.6 kilometers away from the barrier lake that raised collapse concerns with a water volume exceeding 2 million tons, and sits at an altitude of 3,700 meters above sea level, which is 800 meters higher.
Its water storage capacity is about 1.4 million tons, and water flowing out from here is pooling further down.
[China CCTV Anchor: There are a total of three flooded zones within a 2.5-kilometer radius downstream. The area is less than 70,000 square meters, and risk factors still exist.]
Debris is blocking the river's flow, creating one puddle after another, big and small.
With the ground already weakened to its limits by the initial major flood, there are concerns it could inflict additional damage on the Nepalese side, which lacks any defensive barriers.
Fortunately, it has been determined that the risk has decreased for the barrier lake upstream of the China-Nepal checkpoint, which had been assessed as the most threatening, and the second observed barrier lake, as water has naturally drained from them.
[Wang Chenglei / Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management: Through on-site observation and technical monitoring, we confirmed that the water in the barrier lake has naturally discharged. The risk is under control.]
The high mountain ranges of the Himalayas have long served as an adhesive, with permafrost frozen solid year-round holding rock and soil firmly together.
However, as rising temperatures melt the permafrost, it has triggered a chain reaction of disasters consisting of landslides and the formation of barrier lakes.
Chinese authorities announced that image analysis and on-site investigations of the disaster-stricken area revealed about 60 potential hazard points for geological disasters, 8 of which are in a high-risk state.
(Video Editing: Cho Mu-hwan, Design: Kim Han-gil)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.