Excavator operator recalls critical mission of carving life-saving path through mudslide

Zhang Xiaojun, an excavator operator with the state-run engineering and rescue enterprise of China Anneng, was among the first to break through a massive mudslide that cut off the main road to the Gyirong Port in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region neighboring Nepal, reopening a critical route for rescue teams and heavy equipment.

When Zhang arrived at the scene a week ago -- shortly after the devastating mudslide on part of the China-Nepal border on August 26, the highway had disappeared beneath mud and floodwater. With the road completely blocked, the only way forward was through the river.

"The whole road was covered by mud and debris. All we could see was a fast-moving river," Zhang said.

With a mountain on one side and a raging river on the other, the team had no choice but to carve out a temporary route through the rushing water.

"We dropped rocks into the water, but the current would wash them away. So we had to use bigger rocks and build it up," he said.

The most challenging section took a full day and night to complete. For Zhang, who has 23 years of rescue experience, it was the largest mudslide he had ever encountered.

"The current was incredibly strong. When we put the bucket into the water, you could feel the force of the current pushing the excavator and even turning it," Zhang said.

Back home, his family was following the operation from afar.

"My daughter kept video-calling me. Every time, she would say, 'Dad, please stay safe,'" he recalled.

The fast-moving chain mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal, struck the Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border on August 26.

As of 18:00 Friday, 31 people have been confirmed dead and 531 others remain missing on the Chinese side, according to local authorities.

China has deployed 726 troops to the disaster area for relief operations, the Ministry of National Defense said Friday.

Excavator operator recalls critical mission of carving life-saving path through mudslide

Excavator operator recalls critical mission of carving life-saving path through mudslide

Iran has grown more confident in its military capabilities after more than six months of war and increasingly convinced of its leverage necessary to sustain its confrontation with the United States, The New York Times reported Friday, citing recent U.S. intelligence assessments.

The assessments paint a picture far removed from early expectations, when President Donald Trump confidently foresaw a quick and decisive victory following the launch of U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran on Feb 28.

After months of intermittent fighting, Tehran has developed a better understanding of both its military strengths and the limits of U.S. power, officials briefed on the intelligence said.

The assessments show that Iran has now become more convinced of the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran appears determined to prolong the war at least until the November midterm elections in the U.S. to increase political and economic pressure on Washington, said the report.

Iran grows more confident, prepares for longer war: U.S. intelligence