B.C. landslide: Evacuation order north of where Chilcotin and Fraser rivers merge

Authorities in British Columbia have issued an evacuation order for an area just north of where the Chilcotin River meets the Fraser River because of the danger of flooding caused by a landslide.

Authorities in British Columbia have issued an evacuation order for an area just north of where the Chilcotin River meets the Fraser River because of the danger of flooding caused by a landslide.

In a news release Sunday night, officials with the Cariboo Regional District told residents to leave "immediately" and that people who choose to stay do so at their own risk. The evacuation order covers 3.5 square kilometres.

A massive landslide last week at Farwell Canyon located about 22 kilometres south of Williams Lake dammed the Chilcotin River and created a lake about 11 kilometres long behind the slide.

Sean Leslie, spokesman for the ministry of water, land and resource stewardship, said in a statement Monday that water trapped behind the natural dam has not yet reached the top, although levels rose overnight. Leslie said that the height of the trapped water is similar to what is witnessed during the spring thaw but is expected to move more quickly and with greater force.

Experts expect water will reach the top of the natural dam and start flowing into the riverbed in the next several hours, he added.

The Tsilhqot'in First Nation said in a social media post that as of Sunday morning the slide was holding back 61 million cubic meters of water, equalling "24,400 Olympic swimming pools."

British Columbia's Emergency Management Department said on Sunday that water was expected to start moving over the top of the massive landslide site within hours.