Authorities alert for possible second flood as Bhote Koshi levels rise

Kathmandu, 28 August – Nepal’s disaster management authority sounded the alarm on Friday, warning of a potential second flood after water levels in the Bhote Koshi River began climbing again. The surge follows reports of a lake rupture in Tibet that sent a wave of water and debris into the river’s upstream reach.

In a formal notice, the NDRRMA indicated that the same river stretch hit hard on August 26 is now experiencing a fresh influx of water mixed with silt and rocks. Relief workers, along with security forces positioned on the banks of the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, have been ordered to keep rescue equipment ready and to advise residents of high‑risk villages to stay alert.

The Nepal Police also released a cautionary statement, reminding both civilians and responders in the border area to observe strict safety measures. The alert is issued while the nation is still attempting to recover from last week’s disaster, which left 469 dead and 977 missing, among them more than five hundred foreign nationals.

Earlier briefings from the Water Resources Research and Development Centre, referencing Chinese monitoring data, warned that the lake created by the blockage in the upper basin has not fully drained. Officials therefore cannot rule out an abrupt rise in water volume in the Bhote Koshi‑Trishuli‑Narayan river system, and have mandated round‑the‑clock observation of river gauges.