Nepal and China resumed rescue operations in the Himalayas on Friday after the threat from an overflowing lake was found to be manageable. The disaster has killed at least 579 people in Nepal and five in Tibet.

Wednesday’s glacier collapse sent a huge torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris through Himalayan river systems. In Nepal, 1,924 people are missing, while at least 558 remain unaccounted for in Tibet’s Gyirong County, including 260 foreign nationals. The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people have been affected.

The flooding caused a lake to form, which began overflowing into nearby rivers on Friday and raised fears of further devastation. Rescue operations were suspended for about three hours before resuming as the immediate threat eased.

Authorities in Nepal continue to monitor two barrier lakes upstream of the flood zone and say the risk of further flooding will persist until both have fully drained.

The floods have destroyed villages, power stations, roads and bridges along the route linking Kathmandu with Lhasa. At least 540 foreigners are among those missing, many of them Hindu pilgrims from India. Nepal has so far declined offers of foreign search-and-rescue assistance.

(Reuters, bak)