努瓦科特，尼泊爾：尼泊爾與中國於受洪水影響的喜馬拉雅山區在週五（8月28日）重新啟動了暫時被中止的救援行動，原因是超漲湖水的風險被判定可控，緩解了再度災難的憂慮。
週三由冰川崩塌引發的嚴重洪災，造成尼泊爾547人喪生、在中國西藏地區有5人死亡，兩國近千人仍下落不明。
崩塌後，一股巨大的岩石、冰屑、泥濘與碎屑洪流沿著喜馬拉雅山脈的河流系統奔騰而下，並導致一道湖泊形成，水量不斷累積上升。
溢流引發新一波恐慌
周五，湖泊的蓄水量已超過250萬立方米，較前一天估計的150萬至200萬立方米上升，之後溢入Lhende Khola河，再流入Trishuli河，尼泊爾當局與目擊者表示。
溢流引發恐慌與警告，導致救援行動中斷約三小時。湖水決口的風險亦促使所有中國救援人員及車輛於中國一側撤離至安全地帶等待，央視表示。
風險緩解後，救援行動在雙方均重新展開。
「中午前，由於上游被壓閉的湖泊風險被視為可控，對格龍（Gyirong）泥石流災難的救援工作迅速恢復並加強。」央視說。
尼泊爾軍方發言人拉嘉·拉姆·巴斯奈特向路透社表示，洪水警報發布後救援工作曾暫時中止，但水位上升僅約0.6米。
週三的洪災撕裂了村莊與山谷，摧毀了供電站、道路與橋樑，沿著連接加德滿都與西藏拉薩、並深受徒步客與朝聖者歡迎的路線。失蹤者中，至少540名為外籍人士，其中不少是前往西藏聖山凱崙山與聖湖瑪恩莎若瓦湖的印度教朝聆者。
紅十字會表示，估計受影響人數超過9萬人，並稱在屏障湖決口後，救援物資車輛被封鎖在路段之外。
中國呼籲加強對冰川湖泊的監控
在北京，中共中央政治局周五開會指示救援工作，國家媒體報道。
會議表示「科學制定搜救計劃，盡一切努力搜尋中國及海外的失蹤者」，由習近平主席主持的會議據新華社報道。
會議呼籲加強對冰川湖泊、滑坡風險和屏障湖的監控，對尼泊爾受災地區提供緊急援助，以及加強國際災害合作。
中國國務院總理李強，作為該國的第二號官員，周四下午抵達格龍災區，據新華社報道。此行顯示北京把災情視為國家最高優先事項。
截至週四傍晚，中國救援人員尚未到達邊境中國一側最嚴重災區── Gyirong 邊境口，當地媒體報道稱，救援人員正清理通往該地區的主要通道上的碎屑。
週三的震撼畫面顯示，泥濘的水流與碎屑在幾秒內撕裂邊境口區域的結構，並吞噬試圖逃離的人群。
西藏戈寧縣（Gyirong County）失蹤人數為558人，其中包括260名外籍人士。到目前為止，中國方面僅有5人被證實死亡。
「我哋所有人都走咗」
早前，尼泊爾救援隊使用直升機尋找倖存者，並向被山區城鎮與山谷隔絕的成千上萬人空投緊急物資；同時，緊急服務部門——部分使用嗅犬——在平原地帶找回多具屍體。
Dibga Tamang 是周四從拉蘇瓦區救出的最後一批人之一，與另外三名一起被空運送往努瓦科特的一個軍營。
「我哋嘅人全部走咗。佢哋死咗，」Tamang 說。「我冇人再等我。一切同每個人都走咗。完。」
大量人群抵達該區域的軍事基地，尋找失蹤與死亡家屬的資訊。屍體被帶入營房，外牆張貼有救援人員名單，方便家屬尋找信息。
BUILDINGS “WIPED OUT LIKE TOOTHPICKS”
Around the world, relatives of those missing were desperate for information about their whereabouts.
Sneha Sudhir was one of 10 women whose husbands had set out from Nepal on a trek to Tibet’s Mount Kailash when the region was struck by disaster.
The men, all from northern Virginia, are among dozens of Americans missing.
“Where are they?” Sudhir said tearfully from her home in Chantilly, Virginia, on Thursday.
Sudhir said the women were supporting each other and reaching out to officials, politicians and friends and family in the United States and India, hoping for word.
“Everybody is taking turns in shedding their tears, wiping it off and getting back to work,” she said.
President Donald Trump said the US had offered support to Nepal.
“Nobody’s ever seen anything quite like that, where very powerful, strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks. It’s a terrible thing. We are sending aid and we’ve spoken to the leadership and we let them know anything they want, they’ll have.”
NEPAL DECLINES FOREIGN RESCUE HELP
While offers of assistance are pouring in, Nepal said it does not need help from other nations in search and rescue missions.
A South Korean rapid response team is already in Kathmandu but has not been deployed because the Nepali government does not have a plan to accept foreign rescue yet, according to the foreign ministry in Seoul.
The Kathmandu Post reported that India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had asked the government to allow their search-and-rescue teams to assist in the operation.
