Himalayan disaster: Authorities warn blockage upstream in Tibet could give way to another flood

The race is on to search and rescue more than one-thousand people missing - a day after catastrophic floods along the Nepal-Tibet border. There also appears to be growing risk of another devastating deluge. Nine Singaporeans are among hundreds of travellers from more than two dozen countries still unaccounted for. The tourists include people from India, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia and Britain. Thousands of personnel have been deployed, along with sniffer dogs to comb through thick layers of mud and debris. Rescue efforts are being made complicated by rising waters in a new lake, formed where the flood occurred on Wednesday. Authorities are warning that it could burst, threatening to unleash more flooding in affected areas. Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry says the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi and embassy in Beijing are working closely with the Nepali and Chinese authorities. A crisis response team has also been deployed to render aid to affected Singaporeans in Nepal. MFA is strongly encouraging Singaporeans in affected areas to remain vigilant, monitor local news and follow the instructions of local authorities. Singaporeans in those areas should also avoid flood-affected areas, rivers, riverbanks and low-lying areas. CNA understands that two of the Singaporeans are a couple aged 49 and 53. They are travelling with tour group, Himalayan Glacier. Most of the group members were staying at Hotel Kailash, near the Nepali-China border. All communication with the group and the Himalayan Glacier's ground team was lost at around 8:30am Nepal time, following the disruption of mobile networks and other communication services in the area. Friends of the couple tell CNA they have received no updates so far and are very distressed by the situation.