Chinese tunnel experts have joined forces with the Nepali military and local emergency teams to conduct search and rescue operations following last week's deadly mudslide on the China-Nepal border.
Nepal Police said Wednesday the death toll from the deadly mudslide on Aug 26 has risen to 1,118, with 4,858 people still missing.
Under the coordination of local authorities, the Chinese team is active in the hardest-hit areas of northern Nepal, assessing damaged tunnels and aiding in rescue efforts.
At one tunnel site, rescuers faced significant challenges: accumulated water, thick mud, and fallen rocks obstructed access. The Chinese experts employed a combination of manual searches, drone reconnaissance, and inflatable buoys to delve deeper into the flooded tunnel.
"We couldn't go any further, so we urgently worked out a new plan – mainly using drones to scout ahead, combined with manual searching. Inside, we saw a large volume of water. Further in, the tunnel was completely blocked. Behind that, there was a deep pool, so we used buoys for personnel to paddle through and continue the inspection," said Li Yingping, a Chinese tunnel expert.
After evaluating the initial tunnel site, the team swiftly responded to an urgent request from the Nepali military. They were airlifted by military helicopter to another damaged tunnel at a hydropower project site for further assessment.
Nepali military officials expressed their gratitude for the rapid response and technical support from the Chinese experts.
"Thank you to the Chinese expert team who are here, they are standing with us in times of crisis. So that Nepali army team, in coordination with the Chinese expert team, we are like working as a team for better search and rescue operations and we are very happy the expert team is here," said a military official.
Chinese, Nepali teams join forces in tunnel rescues after deadly mudslide
China's first two-tonne-class tethered balloon entered trial operation in a major power transmission project on Monday, providing a brand-new solution for transportation in power grid construction projects in high-altitude and ecologically sensitive areas, according to the State Grid.
The project is a massive ultra-high voltage (UHV) power transmission line that will carry clean energy from Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China across thousands of kilometers to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in south China.
At the construction site, a large balloon with a diameter of 25 meters and a volume of 8,000 cubic meters slowly rose into the air.
As multiple mooring lines were simultaneously extended and retracted, the heavy construction materials suspended beneath the balloon were lifted off the ground and moved smoothly along a predetermined route toward the mountainous work site.
"This is our newly developed load-bearing tethered balloon. We have just completed a maximum load test of two tonnes at an altitude of 4,000 meters. Next, we will conduct a hoisting operation for power supply materials over a straight-line distance of 500 meters and a vertical drop of 120 meters," said Qin Jian, researcher at the Transmission and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Institute of the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute.
A heavy-lift tethered balloon involves launching a helium-filled balloon into the air and connecting it to the ground with one or several cables.
By adjusting the cable, the balloon's altitude and horizontal position are controlled to facilitate the transport of materials at high altitudes.
The balloon can travel up to 800 meters and carry a maximum load of two tonnes, with a positional accuracy of within 0.5 meters.
As the construction of new power grids is extending more rapidly into high-altitude, remote mountainous and ecologically sensitive areas, the transportation of materials for transmission projects has become a major challenge constraining construction progress.
Traditional road construction for transportation have long cycles and significant ecological disruption, while drones, though agile and flexible, face limitations in scenarios requiring heavy loads or prolonged continuous transport.
Tethered balloon transport technology effectively overcomes these difficulties.
"The construction section where this technology is applied is located in an uninhabited mountainous area at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. Many tower sites are situated on steep ridges inaccessible by road, making this the section with the highest altitude, most treacherous terrain and most challenging operations in the entire project. The two-tonne tethered balloon is better suited to high-altitude conditions characterized by thin air and strong winds, and its load capacity and stability can better meet transportation requirements," said Feng Tao, project manager of the State Grid Henan Power Transmission and Transformation Company.
China puts first 2-tonne tethered balloon into operation
