, July 18 -- Authorities on Saturday opened 16 spillway gates of the Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Station as the water level of Kaptai Lake approached the danger mark amid continuous rainfall and upstream water flow.

The gates were opened by six inches each simultaneously at 11:20 am, releasing around 9,000 cusecs of water per second into the Karnaphuli River, said Mahmud Hasan, manager of the Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Station.

The water level of Kaptai Lake reached 104.08 feet above mean sea level (MSL) at 10:00 am on Saturday, he said.

The lake's maximum water holding capacity is 109 feet MSL.

"The decision to open the spillway gates was taken to control the rising water level caused by heavy rainfall and increased flow of water from...