LHASA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Water levels are rising in a barrier lake formed following a landslide in the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
According to the local disaster relief headquarters, the amount of water in the lake had reached 550 million cubic meters as of 9 a.m. Friday, and the water level is rising at a speed of 0.6 meters per hour.
Experts who surveyed the site from a helicopter estimated that water level is about one meter from the top of the right side of the barrier.
The landslide struck during the early hours of Wednesday near a village in Menling County, blocking the river's waterway. No casualties have been reported. Another landslide struck the same area Thursday morning.
On Thursday, rescuers walked into the village closest to the lake and evacuated local villagers and workers.
More than 6,000 people have been evacuated so far, local authorities said Thursday.
Authorities in Tibet have launched an emergency response, monitoring the lake's water level, evacuating local residents and sending relief supplies to the disaster-hit areas.
