Search and rescue intensified Friday at the mudslide-stricken border port of Gyirong in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region as rescue personnel raced against time to save lives.
Five people were killed and 558 others remained missing as of 15:00 on Friday, according to the region's emergency management department, after the mudslide, which occurred on the Nepalese side, struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong County on Wednesday morning. Among the missing, 260 have been identified as foreign nationals.
As of 10:00 Friday, a total of 681 fire and rescue personnel and 113 vehicles have arrived at the remote mountainous border area, while 6,612 pieces of rescue equipment and logistical supplies have been dispatched to Gyirong Township, according to the National Fire and Rescue Administration.
The first team of 141 rescuers, as well as a high-altitude helicopter, arrived at the port on Thursday morning. Another batch of 111 rescuers from the China Search and Rescue team reached Gyirong County Thursday afternoon.
The fire and rescue personnel have formed three specialized teams for search and rescue operations: entering by rubber boats on waterways, traveling on foot through mountainous terrain, and conducting aerial reconnaissance and supply drops with drones.
An advance team has also been sent to the core disaster area to conduct mapping, reconnaissance and targeted monitoring of both the site and the barrier lake using drones and telescopes.
A total of 13 experts from the Shanghai Fire Research Institute of the Ministry of Emergency Management have also arrived at the site.
China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise, sent out a 15-member team on Friday with reconnaissance drones, portable satellite stations and mobile surveillance cameras to conduct on-site surveys of the blockage and surrounding roads to provide accurate data for efforts to address the barrier lake.
The debris accumulated about 3 km upstream of the port can only be safely cleared once the risk posed by the blockage has been resolved, according to rescue personnel at the site.
Multi-pronged rescue efforts under way after fatal mudslide hits China's Xizang border
Rescue operations have been halted at mudslide-hit Gyirong Port in Gyirong County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, over a potentially catastrophic barrier-lake breach that threatens to trigger secondary floods and mudslides.
At around 10:30 on Wednesday, a catastrophic mudslide on Nepal's side of the border caused heavy casualties and left a large number of people missing at the border port.
As of 15:00 on Friday, five people had been confirmed dead, and 558 remained missing, according to data from Chinese authorities.
Multiple rescue forces were dispatched to the disaster-hit area immediately after the mudslide. Armed police troops tasked with road clearance advanced to a section of the G216 National Highway, about two to three kilometers away from Gyirong Port, on Friday morning.
However, all rescue operations were suspended because a barrier lake formed after the devastating mudslide poses a high risk of breaching as water continues to flow in.
Aerial footage showed the dangerous barrier lake near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, with its water volume estimated at 2.5 million cubic meters. Loose, sliding rock masses are visible on both banks.
"My current location is 2.5 kilometers from the Gyirong Port. This area was severely blocked by the mudslide on the previous day. We had originally planned to begin dredging operations today for search and rescue. However, due to flood alerts for the Donglin Zangbo River and the potential risk of a further barrier lake breach, we have suspended all on-site operations to conduct further assessments," said Xu Xingguo, a soldier from a border defense regiment.
Before suspending operations, local authorities completed comprehensive emergency evacuation and resettlement work. A total of 499 villagers and construction personnel from five disaster-threatened villages in Xigaze have been safely relocated.
In addition, all 555 tourists previously staying in Gyirong Town have been evacuated.
A full range of emergency supplies has also been delivered to Gyirong Town to support disaster relief and ensure basic living conditions for the affected people. The supplies include staple foods such as highland barley, rice and flour, cooking oil and drinking water, as well as tents, folding beds, quilts, stoves, generators and other disaster-rescue equipment and daily necessities.
To support post-disaster relief and assistance, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions has allocated 4 million yuan (around 595,260 U.S. dollars) in emergency funds to console affected residents, frontline rescuers and workers, and to support ongoing rescue operations and post-disaster recovery work.
Rescue operations halted at Xizang's Gyirong Port over barrier lake breach risk
Rescue operations halted at Xizang's Gyirong Port over barrier lake breach risk
