Rescuers race against time for survivors, cause of mudslide identified

Thousands of rescuers have been racing against time to search for the missing as the death toll rose to 16 after a mudslide struck Gyirong Port in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.  

A total of 2,141 personnel, 269 rescue vehicles and more than 3,900 sets of equipment have been mobilized for search and rescue operations, with rescuers advancing toward the disaster's core area by land, water and air, according to information released at a news conference in Gyirong County on Sunday.

The mudslide struck on the morning of August 26 after a disaster on the Nepalese side of the border with China, causing 16 deaths and leaving 546 people missing at Gyirong Port as of Sunday morning.

Authorities said they have launched a comprehensive search involving multiple departments to trace those who remain unaccounted for. The latest screening identified 261 missing foreign nationals from 23 countries, including Nepal, India, the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia. The Chinese authorities have notified the relevant foreign embassies and consulates.

After several rounds of searches and checks, the authorities said no foreign tourists are currently stranded in Gyirong County.

Cause of disaster identified

Authorities said at the press conference that the cause of the disaster has now been identified as a glacier collapse and ice-rock avalanche on the southern slope of Lantang Lirung in Nepal, triggered by long-term glacier instability linked to climate warming.

Around 10:52 a.m. Beijing Time on August 26, a glacier at an altitude of about 5,200 meters collapsed, sending ice and rock rapidly down the mountainside. The resulting massive mudslide traveled about 22 kilometers before reaching Gyirong Port at an altitude of around 1,800 meters, according to an assessment by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment.

Monitoring data showed that the entire process, from the ice-rock avalanche to its impact on Gyirong Port, took only about six to seven minutes.

The mudslide flattened 27 buildings and related facilities across an area of about 0.7 square kilometers.

The mudslide's sudden onset, large flood peak, high speed and extensive destruction reflect the increasingly prominent new characteristics of cryosphere-related hazards on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and surrounding regions, as climate warming contributes to glacier instability, authorities said.

All-out search for the missing 

Rescue teams continued combing through the disaster's core area on Saturday, carrying out grid-based searches amid challenging terrain. Footage from the scene showed the Gyirong Port building was reduced largely to a skeletal framework, with firefighters searching carefully through the remains.

About 70 firefighters conducted round-the-clock searches in the hardest-hit area while rescue teams in surrounding areas worked in designated sections. Rescuers used life-detection devices, drones and BeiDou navigation equipment to search for the missing people.

To support operations in the core area, multiple heavy-lift drones and helicopters were deployed from early Saturday to airlift rescue equipment and supplies to frontline teams.

The G216 national highway leading to Gyirong Port was completely destroyed by the mudslide, with rescue teams working to reopen the final stretch of the route. More than 2.6 kilometers of the damaged road has now been restored, while the remaining section is difficult to access because of the narrow terrain and soft ground. China Anneng has deployed more than 20 pieces of specialized machinery to speed up the work.

A barrier lake upstream of Gyirong Port has also complicated rescue efforts. The Ministry of Water Resources said its latest monitoring showed the lake's surface area had shrunk by about 21,000 square meters since August 27. At the same time, water was slowly flowing over the barrier, and the water level was gradually falling. Multiple teams are maintaining 24-hour monitoring of the lake.

Emergency support stepped up

Following the disaster, the local government in Xizang activated its highest-level natural disaster emergency and relief responses and established emergency rescue and frontline command centers.

China's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management have allocated 120 million yuan (about $16.8 million) for disaster relief and emergency recovery. The National Development and Reform Commission has arranged a further 100 million yuan in support.

Financial and insurance institutions have also rolled out emergency measures. Insurers have introduced initiatives including policy-free claims settlement and non-discriminatory rescue services. Meanwhile, banks have stepped up cash supplies and provided 200 million yuan in emergency cash support to meet the immediate financial needs of the affected residents.

As of Saturday, the insurance sector had received claims linked to the disaster with preliminary estimated losses approaching 100 million yuan.