Rescuers battle waist-deep mud to search for missing after fatal mudslide in China's Xizang

Rescue teams are battling waist-deep mud and treacherous terrain in a race against time to search for survivors following a devastating mudslide at the Gyirong border port in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

The mudslide, which occurred on the Nepalese side, struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong County of Xizang on Wednesday morning. As of 18:00 Saturday, the disaster had claimed 16 lives, with 546 people still missing, according to local authorities.

On Friday, joint rescue teams, including the China Rescue Team dispatched by the Ministry of Emergency Management and the regional Lhasa Fire and Rescue Mobile Detachment, reached the gate area of the Gyirong port via land.

Footage circulating online shows rescuers and search dogs navigating a landscape of shattered rocks and thick sludge. In some areas, the mud reached their waists, forcing teams to use ropes to move forward in unison.

Meanwhile, the Xigaze Detachment of the Xizang Corps of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force was steadily advancing to the disaster's core area on Saturday.

Equipped with full protective gear, officers worked in segmented zones alongside heavy machinery to conduct search and rescue operations, clear mud, and identify potential secondary hazards.

On Saturday afternoon, an army aviation brigade of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Xizang Military Command deployed two helicopters to deliver emergency supplies directly to the core rescue area.

After reaching the gate area of the Gyirong port, he helicopters air-dropped much-needed provisions, including self-heating meals, drinking water, medicine, and specialized rescue equipment, including gas monitors and life detectors.

Despite unfavorable weather conditions and the thick mud blanketing the site, the Xizang Military Command successfully executed two supply-drop sorties on Saturday, significantly bolstering the life support, medical, and operational capabilities of the frontline rescue teams.

Rescuers battle waist-deep mud to search for missing after fatal mudslide in China's Xizang

Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Sunday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek, and state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt upon the invitations of President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt. Xi's entourage includes his wife Peng Liyuan, Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister.

At the Bishkek Summit, Xi will have in-depth exchanges of views with participating leaders on deepening SCO cooperation in various fields under the new circumstances and major international and regional issues.

During his stay in Kyrgyzstan, Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations, cooperation in key areas, and international and regional situation with his Kyrgyz counterpart in their talks, and attend various state events.

The Egypt leg of Xi's trip, his first state visit to the country in a decade, coincides with the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. The Chinese and Egyptian presidents will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Xi leaves for SCO summit, state visits to Kyrgyzstan, Egypt