Kathmandu [Nepal], September 4 – At least 21 people have been confirmed dead and 541 remain missing after a fast-moving mudslide struck Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on August 26, Chinese authorities said.
The mudslide was triggered by an ice-rock avalanche originating from a high-altitude glacier in Nepal according to the latest briefing by the regional government.
More than 2,300 rescuers have been deployed to the disaster zone with multiple rounds of grid and blanket searches covering about 1.59 million square metres.
China’s State Grid said power supplies had been restored to the core area of Gyirong Port. The land route to the port was also largely restored on Wednesday allowing heavy machinery to enter the affected area and clear debris.
Specialised firefighters are conducting targeted searches while life-detection equipment is being used to check suspicious locations.
In the core affected area, 336 rescuers have carried out repeated searches. Authorities are also collecting suspected belongings of those killed or missing to assist with identification. By Wednesday noon, 847 items had been recovered.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched road-reinforcement and heavy-lifting equipment while state-owned companies are supporting power restoration and relief operations.
Another shipment of Chinese relief supplies and DNA experts arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday as part of China’s assistance following the disaster.
