Rescue efforts continue in Tibet after landslide at Gyirong port
On Sunday, rescue and humanitarian operations intensified in the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwestern China following the devastating landslide that struck the Gyirong port on the China-Nepal border on Wednesday. Despite difficult terrain conditions, the search for possible survivors continues.
The disaster, triggered by the collapse of a high‑altitude glacier on the Nepalese side, unleashed a torrent of ice, rocks, mud and water down the mountains, causing massive destruction within minutes and resulting in significant casualties. The massive landslide struck the Gyirong port in Gyirong County, Shigatse City, Tibet, on Wednesday morning, killing at least 16 people and leaving about 546 missing on the Chinese side. Nepalese authorities report that the death toll has reached 794, with more than 2,400 people still missing.
In the Tibet area, a large‑scale rescue operation is under way on multiple fronts, involving more than 2,100 rescuers, along with 269 vehicles and over 3,900 pieces of equipment. As stated at a press conference on Sunday, rescue forces are trying to reach the worst‑hit areas by road, water and air, although officials acknowledged the serious difficulties facing emergency teams on the ground.
Days of rain have softened the soil in the worst‑affected areas of Gyirong County, creating a layer of mud up to 2 metres thick, turning the ground into a "mud‑like" surface and making it dangerous for rescuers to move around. In these harsh conditions, rescuers have been paired up, with each linked to another to ensure mutual help in case of getting stuck, cautiously advancing through these areas, checking blind spots and hidden ravines for signs of life. As relief operations intensified, two helicopters were dispatched by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) command in Tibet, delivering more than 400 kilograms of supplies and a team of 77 professional rescuers to the affected areas.
Meanwhile, a large‑scale operation to clear debris and restore traffic on damaged sections of National Highway G216 continues. The highway is a critical link for access to the landslide‑affected areas since the collapse on Wednesday. Aerial footage shows numerous excavators and heavy machinery working to remove stones and boulders, while water rushes past from the riverbank, and rescue teams slowly clear a path at the foot of the mountains. As of 16:00 on Sunday, the rescue team had successfully cleared two bends on the first S‑curve section, a crucial step for allowing most heavy machinery access, and continues to work, with just over 1.25 kilometres of the rescue route left to restore.
Meanwhile, technical specialists in Tibet are working around the clock to restore power supplies essential for successful rescue operations, as well as the stable electricity needed for critical communications equipment. After the landslide, several barrier lakes formed upstream of the Gyirong port, and the risk of secondary disasters became one of the most serious threats to relief efforts. By Sunday afternoon, water levels in two of these lakes had been released. "After our on‑site observations and technical monitoring, the newly formed barrier lake has naturally drained, and most of the water has been released. The risk is largely under control. We will continue to strengthen monitoring of the landslide mass and further enhance early warning systems," said Wang Chenglei, Deputy Director of the Risk Monitoring and Comprehensive Fire Protection Department at the Ministry of Emergency Management.
Efforts are also being made to assist affected residents who have lost their homes and are worried about their loved ones. In Guoba Village, Sale Township, Gyirong County, where 105 people have been evacuated, the National Health Commission has sent psychologists to provide support to local residents and frontline emergency workers. "We are using various methods, such as training staff for home visits, providing counselling services and psychological support to victims. We will also train medical staff on the front lines in resettlement areas, teaching them coping strategies," said Zou Ling, Deputy Director of the Emergency Department at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, one of many specialists deployed to the disaster‑stricken county.
Meanwhile, as neighbouring Nepal is engaged in its own rescue operations, China is providing cross‑border assistance: humanitarian supplies were sent to Kathmandu on Sunday, the China International Development Cooperation Agency reported. A team of Chinese tunnel experts has also been deployed to assist in a complex rescue operation where several workers are believed to be trapped at a hydroelectric power plant under construction. Broader cooperation is also under way as part of large‑scale rescue efforts: Chinese experts have been sent to other affected areas of Nepal, and information sharing has included images of the affected areas, satellite data and hydrological data.
As CCTV+ reports, the rescue operation at the Gyirong port continues despite extreme conditions. Rescuers are doing everything possible to find survivors and restore the infrastructure needed to deliver aid. China is demonstrating not only domestic disaster readiness but also international solidarity by assisting neighbouring Nepal. This tragedy once again underscores the need for global efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and strengthen early warning systems in mountainous regions.
