Rescue teams intensify search in mudslide-hit border port area in southwest China's Xizang

Rescue teams have been working tirelessly in the mudslide-hit border port area of Gyirong in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region since they reached there Friday after hard treks through the extremely difficult local mountainous terrains.

From the early hours of Friday, rescuers rushed to the hardest-hit area near the Gyirong Port, a key border crossing in southwestern Xizang. After a grueling ten-hour trek through mountainous terrains, more than 60 search-and-rescue personnel have conducted multiple search rounds within a 1.7-kilometer radius of the disaster zone. About 100 meters from the valley, exposed rocky slopes mark the path the floodwaters took. With flood heights estimated over 60 meters, equivalent to a 20-story building, the devastating power of the mudslide is evident.

The rescue teams have now been operating non-stop for three days. On Saturday, efforts continued from 08:00 until 20:30, and even after nightfall, search activities persisted in the river valley.

Harsh weather has complicated the search and rescue mission, with heavy nightly rain making it impossible to erect tents on the grassy slopes. The rescuers had to sleep outdoors and remain awake through cold nights to maintain their intense search operations.

"It's already the third day. This is my duty and mission to complete the task and give the people an answer," said Zou Mingqi, on-site commander from the Lhasa Team of the Sichuan Fire and Rescue Mobile Corps.

"As we are firefighters and rescuers, this is what we are supposed to do," said a rescue worker from the Lhasa Team.

Yao Xueqin, deputy commander of the Lhasa Team of the Sichuan Fire and Rescue Mobile Corps, said that so far, they have searched the area twice, covering approximately 40,000 square meters, but they would continue the operation despite the hardships. He added that the previous searches had been superficial, and they were now carrying out deeper, more thorough scans.

The deadly mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse on the Nepalese side, had left 16 people dead and 546 others missing in Gyirong on the Chinese side as of 18:00 Saturday, according to the regional government.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said that 734 bodies had been recovered from mudslide-hit areas on the Nepalese side as of 09:00 local time on Sunday, with 2,498 people still missing.

Rescue teams intensify search in mudslide-hit border port area in southwest China's Xizang

Rescue teams intensify search in mudslide-hit border port area in southwest China's Xizang

Europe is staring down another winter energy crunch as gas reserves are on track to hit their lowest level in 13 years, fueling "winter panic" across energy markets, The Guardian reported on Saturday.

According to the UK newspaper, the European Union (EU)’s gas storage sat at just 63 percent in the final week of August, far below the seasonal average of roughly 80 percent recorded in recent years. At the current rate of consumption and refilling, the bloc is projected to enter the winter heating season with reserves at their lowest since 2013, experts were quoted as saying.

The report attributed the shortfall to multiple converging pressures. Ongoing military conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran has disrupted energy exports from the Gulf region, making it increasingly difficult for the EU to achieve its gas storage target of 80 percent full by the start of winter. At the same time, a bitterly cold end to last winter and scorching heatwaves across Europe this summer have driven up natural gas demand for electricity generation, accelerating the depletion of already dwindling stockpiles, it said.

'Winter panic' looms over Europe as gas reserves heads for 13-year low: UK newspaper