Barrier lake flood damages highway linking China's Sichuan to Tibet

Chengdu (China) : Traffic halted on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway on Wednesday after a flood discharged from a landslide-formed lake damaged a bridge, authorities said.

The Sichuan provincial transportation department said sections of the Zhubalong Jinsha River Bridge, located in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan province, were destroyed by the flood, Xinhua news agency reported.

The highway is a pivotal route linking Sichuan and neighbouring Tibet Autonomous Region.

The barrier lake began to overflow on Tuesday afternoon and submerged the bridge. The department said repair work will start as soon as the flood subsides.

A landslide led to the formation of a barrier lake on the river on October 11. Water levels returned to normal on October 14 with no casualties reported before a second landslide blocked the river again on November 3.