China
2026.08.27 13:16 GMT+8

Rescue underway after disaster hits China-Nepal border region

Updated 2026.08.27 13:16 GMT+8
CGTN

Chinese authorities have launched full-scale rescue operations after a disaster struck the China-Nepal border region, causing casualties on both sides.

As of 8 a.m. on August 27, a mudslide disaster had left three people dead and 558 others missing in Gyirong County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, according to the front-line command headquarters in Xigaze City.

Rescue vehicles head to the disaster-hit area in Gyirong County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, August 26, 2026. /China Media Group

In northern Nepal, severe flash floods have killed 162 people, according to the latest information from police and the prime minister's office. Another 484 tourists are missing, including 391 foreign nationals.

China's Ministry of Natural Resources activated a Level-II emergency response for geological disasters, the second-highest in China's four-tier emergency response system, and dispatched a working team to guide rescue operations and prevent secondary disasters.

The National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief, together with the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), activated a Level-II emergency response for disaster relief.

The MEM has mobilized 249 personnel from the national comprehensive fire and rescue force and 325 engineering rescue personnel from China Anneng, PowerChina and other organizations. Another 111 firefighters and rescue personnel from Beijing and southwest China's Sichuan Province were dispatched to Xizang. An emergency rescue charter aircraft carrying advanced equipment has also departed for Xigaze.

The National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief and the MEM allocated 30,000 central relief supplies, including tents, stoves, clothing, quilts, folding beds and moisture-proof mats, to support evacuation, resettlement and relief work.

The Ministry of Finance and the MEM have allocated 120 million yuan (about $17.7 million) in central natural disaster relief funds to support Xizang in carrying out emergency rescue and disaster relief operations.

Meanwhile, the National Development and Reform Commission earmarked 100 million yuan in central budget investment to support post-disaster emergency recovery and reconstruction efforts in Gyirong County.

The disaster cut off roads leading to the Gyirong border port on the Chinese side and disrupted communications and power supplies. Eighty-five repair personnel from State Grid Xizang Electric Power have arrived in Gyirong Town.

In Nepal, widespread flooding damaged roads, bridges and hydropower facilities, causing power outages and prompting emergency evacuations along the Bhote Koshi River, China Media Group reported.

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