Three people had been killed, 558 others remained missing, while two local villagers had been rescued as of 08:00 on Thursday, after a mudslide struck a port along the China-Nepal border in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, local authorities said at a press conference.
Among the missing, 260 have been identified as foreign nationals, according to the local authorities.
The mudslide, which occurred on the Nepalese side of the border at around 10:30 on Wednesday, struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong County of Xizang. It has cut off road access, communications and power supply along the route from the Gyirong Township to the Gyirong Port.
Both Xizang's disaster prevention commission and Xigaze's emergency response office have activated Level-I emergency responses for natural disasters and disaster relief respectively. As the rescue operation presses on, all relevant authorities have swiftly deployed full forces for disaster relief.
A barrier lake has been detected near the port, posing great challenges to rescue efforts. Located about 2.5 kilometers from Gyirong Port with debris measuring nearly 1.5 meters in thickness, the barrier lake is showing signs of expansion, though the landslide area has not increased as of the latest assessment.
An eight-member advance team from China Anneng Engineering Rescue's Lhasa base arrived in Gyirong Township early on Thursday morning, carrying satellite portable stations, surveillance drones and 3D laser scanners to conduct aerial surveys and modeling of the barrier lake, collecting key data to support subsequent engineering operations.
Meanwhile, two of four helicopters from the Xizang Military Command's Army Aviation unit departed at 10:00 Thursday for the disaster-hit area, followed by a second batch at noon.
A Y-20 transport aircraft from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command arrived at a plateau airport around 10:30, carrying a command team to the affected area.
The PLA Western Theater Command Air Force has activated its emergency response plan and deployed drones to the Gyirong Port area for damage assessment. The neighboring Sichuan Province's emergency management department has also dispatched a Wing Loong emergency communication drone for cross-regional support. On the ground, the Xizang Fire and Rescue Brigade has deployed search and rescue dogs, life detectors and rubber boats to the scene. The Lhasa Fire Rescue Mobile Unit's Xigaze detachment arrived on Wednesday night to conduct drone surveillance. The Xizang Armed Police Force's Xigaze detachment has also reached the affected area.
Xizang's public security authorities have dispatched police contingents to the site, with a team from the Gyirong Port branch arriving at the border gate area on Wednesday afternoon to search for missing persons. The Xizang General Border Inspection Station has also mobilized emergency reinforcement teams from Lhasa and Xigaze, with the Xigaze Border Management Detachment already operating in Gyirong Township. Communication and power crew are on site working to restore services.
China Anneng Engineering Rescue has dispatched 150 personnel from its Chengdu base in Sichuan Province to Xizang, with 105 traveling by air to Lhasa before transferring to buses for Xigaze, while another 45 are traveling overland with equipment.
"We are airlifting mainly detection equipment, while sending rescue vehicles, communication gear, heavy machinery operators and support personnel overland," said Li Weimin, head of the capacity building department at China Anneng's Chengdu base.
The meteorological department has forecast more rainfall in the affected area over the next three days, which could further complicate rescue efforts.
3 dead, 558 missing, 2 rescued after mudslide hits border port in China's Xizang
3 dead, 558 missing, 2 rescued after mudslide hits border port in China's Xizang
