Authorities alert danger ahead from flood discharge

Flood control authorities in Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan province warned of danger late on Sunday as a lake, formed by mud blocking the Jinsha River, is expected to discharge a flood early the next morning.

Local authorities declared the second-highest emergency response to alert people of rapidly rising water levels on the river’s lower reaches, which could follow the discharge starting at about 4 am on Monday, according to a Sichuan Daily report.

A repair crew was evacuated from the lake as of 11 am on Sunday, according to a media release from the Ministry of Emergency Management late on Sunday evening.

The areas vulnerable to the discharge, including Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Sichuan and the Changda in neighboring Tibet autonomous region, will evacuate all people and vehicles. Entering these areas is forbidden until the end of the emergency response, the ministry said.

A landslide led to the formation of a barrier lake on the river on Oct 11. Water levels returned to normal on Oct 14 with no casualties reported before a second landslide blocked the river again on Nov 3.

A total of 34,200 people have been evacuated along the river in Sichuan and Tibet, as the lake’s water levels continued to rise, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Sunday.

The lake inundated a farmhouse and a suspension bridge in Jinsha Township, Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.

Moreover, 52 barns as well as farms and roads, suffered damage, while 25 families' houses, the township government building, school and clinic are under the threat of flooding, the report said.