International media on Saturday and Sunday visited the core disaster area of mudslide-hit Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.
The reporters from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Brazil among other countries and regions visited the area and learned about the disaster situation, ongoing rescue operations, and progress in recovery and reconstruction.
"China has this particular the capacity to address this kind of crisis. You have thousands of workers trained for this and you have machines made for this kind of efforts. And of course, our heart goes to them for the kind of work they are putting," said KJM Varma Mokanda, a reporter from Press Trust of India.
The mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal on Aug 26, had left 43 people dead and 519 others missing at the border port as of 18:00 Saturday, the emergency response and rescue headquarters told a press conference on Sunday.
As of 18:00 Saturday, more than 2,500 people and over 500 vehicles had been deployed for the rescue, and more than 1,000 flights of drones had air-dropped 5.43 tons of supplies, officials said at the press conference.
International media visit mudslide-hit Gyirong Port
In-depth research will be made for the restoration of Gyirong Port in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, which was hit by a massive mudslide occurred in Nepal on August 26, an official said at a press conference in Gyirong County on Sunday.
The port on the China-Nepal border has historically served as a key land gateway between the two countries, said Norbu Tsering, deputy secretary of the Xigaze City Party Committee and acting mayor of the city, adding that China will carry out further assessments regarding the potential restoration of the port’s functions.
"Gyirong Port boasts a long history, ideal crossing conditions, and close personnel exchanges. It is a relatively well-functioning land border trade port with Nepal. Over the past five years, Gyirong Port handled a total of 14 billion yuan (about 2.09 billion U.S. dollars) worth goods, with the cargo weighing nearly 400,000 tons. In 2025, the total goods value handled by Gyirong Port accounted for 42 percent of Xigaze City's total, and the total import and export value it handled accounted for 58 percent of Xigaze's total. In the next step, we will conduct in-depth evaluation of disaster risks in its ambient areas and carry out in-depth research and feasibility analysis regarding the restoration of port functions and other related matters," said Norbu Tsering.
The mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal, had left 43 people dead and 519 others missing at the border port as of 18:00 Saturday.
Research to be made for Gyirong Port's restoration: official
