[Anchor]

There is a reason why water cascaded down from the high-altitude region of the Himalayas again today (August 28). Another glacier collapse occurred, accompanied by an avalanche. With rain continuing to pour, projections even suggest a high risk of a large-scale collapse four days from now.

Beijing Correspondent Choi Go-un reports.

[Reporter]

This footage was captured this morning by a Chinese Air Force unmanned aerial vehicle on reconnaissance.

A massive ice wall and piles of snow slide down the steep mountain all at once.

The amount reaches a staggering 50,000 tons.

The place where these ice chunks fell was a landslide dam that had formed as soil and rock accumulated from the collapse of a glacier and bedrock three days ago.

This lake is located about 10 kilometers northeast of the Chinese and Nepali border checkpoint that vanished without a trace.

As a result of rescue team experts calculating the scale of the landslide dam using satellite images and drones, it measured about 150 meters in length, and the natural dam blocking the water reached a height of 40 to 50 meters.

The water volume has already hit 2.5 million tons.

[Chinese State-run CCTV Reporter: The water volume of the landslide dam has exceeded 2 million tons. At an altitude of 2,950 meters, which is 1,000 meters higher than the Gyirong Port, it is equivalent to having an amount of water equal to two West Lakes floating right above our heads.]

However, with rain continuing to fall, water is steadily flowing in.

On top of this, additional glacier collapses and avalanches were added today.

[China Meteorological Administration: Heavy localized rain is expected in the Gyirong border checkpoint and surrounding areas until August 30. There is a possibility of triggering secondary disasters such as landslides or dam collapses.]

As soil and bedrock have become unstable due to the aftermath of the massive landslide and ongoing rain, multiple secondary collapses have been observed from the upper sections.

[Rescue Worker: We cleared the roads blocked by the landslide and planned rescue operations, but operations have been suspended due to the possibility of additional collapses of the landslide dam.]

Chinese authorities forecast that the risk of a large-scale collapse will peak around September 1, four days from now.

To prevent a collapse by gradually draining the water from the landslide dam created by the landslide, a drainage channel needs to be dug at a lower point. However, because it is a steeply sloped area, heavy equipment such as excavators have difficulty accessing the site, mounting concerns over potential damage.

(Video editing: Kim Byung-jik, Design: Park Taeyoung)