China evacuates 6,000 people after landslide blocks Tibet river

China says around 6,000 people have been evacuated following a landslide in Tibet that blocked the flow of one of the region's key rivers.

China says around 6,000 people have been evacuated following a landslide in Tibet that blocked the flow of one of the region's key rivers.

The local emergency response bureau said a barrier lake was formed on the Yarlung Tsangpo, the headwater of India's Brahmaputra River, following the Wednesday morning collapse of a cliffside in the deep valley through which the river flows.

No deaths or injuries have been reported and the bureau said China has been keeping India updated on the situation.

The landslide struck near a village in Menling County and water in the lake had risen to a height of 40 meters (131 feet).

With its towering peaks and glaciers, Tibet is the source of numerous Asian rivers, adding to China's strategic influence over its southern neighbours.