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Why are lakes bursting?

When floods carry a lot of debris, like rocks and soil, it can block rivers and form temporary lakes. If these natural dams fail, the sudden release of water causes a 'lake burst' or glacial lake outburst flood, which is incredibly dangerous. China paused rescues in Tibet due to this very risk, showing the cascading dangers of such events.

Stories that explain this

Nepal flood death toll hits 469 as Tibet rescues pause over lake burst risk