42,307 evacuated as lake water rises

More than 25,000 people have been evacuated as the water levels continue to rise in a landslide-formed barrier lake in Tibet Autonomous Region, local authorities said yesterday. The barrier lake was formed by mud blocking the Jinsha River which also flows down through its neighboring Sichuan Province.

The municipal government of Changdu in Tibet said the water level has risen 57.44 meters with an estimated 469 million cubic meters of water storage as of 9am yesterday.

As of Saturday, 42 temporary settlements, equipped with basic living necessities, have been set up for relocated villagers, with medical teams stationed near the settlements.

Local authorities said 509 soldiers and 90 firefighters have been sent to the disaster areas for rescue and flood relief. Electricity and communication have been restored in part of the regions.

Experts have also been sent to monitor the barrier lake and the landslide-hit areas in case of ensuing hydrologic and geological threats.

On Saturday, the government of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan said the lake had inundated a farmhouse and a suspension bridge in the Jinsha Township and a total of 17,307 people have been evacuated.

Moreover, 52 pasture buildings, as well as farms and roads, suffered damages, while 25 families’ houses, the township government, school and clinic are under the threat of flood, officials said. The township said it had mobilized 150 people to go door-to-door checking for any villagers remaining in threatened areas.