Overflowing lake halts rescue efforts as Nepal-Tibet flood death toll hits 474

Risk of lake bursting forces rescue teams to withdraw as residents rush up hills to escape possible river surge

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Rescuers searching for survivors of Wednesday’s deadly flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have been forced to pull back after a debris dam overflowed, increasing the risk of fresh flooding.

Residents in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, on the border with Tibet, were seen rushing up hillsides ⁠on Friday to escape a possible surge in the river, ⁠according to witnesses. Authorities in Nepal had stopped rescue operations for at least 90 minutes, an army officer said.