Digging Through Disaster: Rescuers Battle Flash Floods at Mudslide-Hit Gyirong Port

Chinese emergency teams continued sweeping search and rescue operations on Saturday at Gyirong Port in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region.

Specialized engineering crews are working around the clock with excavators and heavy equipment to reopen vital highway routes buried under thick mud, water, and rock.

Rescue personnel have been combing through piles of rubble, while teams try to clear massive earth blockages along the devastated border roads.

Glacier Collapse Triggers Deadly Himalayan Torrent

The disaster began on Wednesday morning, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse on the Nepalese side of the border. The collapse unleashed a massive torrent of ice, rock, and water that thundered down Himalayan river valleys.

Some of the worst destruction originally hit Nepal’s Rasuwa District near the Chinese border. The floodwaters then raced downstream along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, inundating Nuwakot and neighboring regions.

Rising Casualties and Risk of Secondary Disasters

According to Xizang’s emergency management department, 7 people are confirmed dead and 554 individuals remain missing as of Saturday morning. The disaster zone remains highly volatile.

Authorities issued urgent warnings on Friday regarding an unstable “barrier lake” formed by debris damming the river upstream. The lake has already begun to overflow, creating a severe risk of a secondary surge downstream.

Due to the imminent threat of further flash floods and secondary landslides, emergency teams temporarily halted rescue operations in several high-risk areas to protect personnel.