A powerful mudslide in China's Xizang Autonomous Region created a dangerous barrier lake and increased secondary disaster risks.

Unlike man-made dams, this barrier is composed of loose rock and debris, making it vulnerable to sudden breaches that could trigger downstream flooding. Preliminary measurements by the rescue team indicate the barrier is approximately 150 meters long and 40 to 50 meters high. The lake's storage capacity is estimated between 1.5 million and 2 million cubic meters. As of the morning of August 27, the lake contained about 2 million cubic meters of water and had reached an overflowing state. The disaster began with a high-altitude ice collapse in the upper reaches of the Cuojian River in Nepal. The falling ice scoured moraine deposits, forming a high-speed debris flow that struck Gyirong Port. Large volumes of ice-rock avalanche deposits and local landslides blocked the confluence of the Puripu Qiangzangbu River and the Cuojian River. Hydrological forecasts project an additional inflow of 3 million cubic meters of water over the next three days, increasing the risk of a breach-flood.