All-out rescue efforts urged

President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue and relief efforts after a mudslide on Wednesday in Nepal caused heavy casualties and left many people missing at a border port in the Xizang autonomous region.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instruction after the mudslide struck the Gyirong border port, a major land port linking China and Nepal, in Shigatse at around 10:30 am, according to Xinhua News Agency.

As of 8 pm on Wednesday, at least three people had been killed and 265 others remained missing, CCTV News quoted local authorities as saying.

The president stressed that the top priority now is to make every possible effort to search for and rescue missing people, evacuate residents at risk and provide timely medical treatment to the injured.

He also underlined efforts to strengthen monitoring and early warning, carry out rescue work in a scientific manner and prevent secondary disasters.

Noting that the country is at a critical stage of flood control, Xi emphasized that all local authorities and relevant departments should prepare for worst-case scenarios and extreme situations, and earnestly implement measures for flood and typhoon prevention.

They must also step up efforts to identify and defuse potential risks and hazards, resolutely prevent serious and major disasters and accidents, and effectively protect people's lives and property, he said.

Premier Li Qiang has ordered prompt efforts to verify the number of people missing and affected, conduct all-out relief operations and evacuate people at risk.

He urged the Foreign Ministry to strengthen communication and coordination with relevant countries to share information in a timely manner and work together to properly handle rescue and relief efforts.

Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing has led a team to the site to guide rescue and response efforts.

Video footage released by China Central Television showed muddy water gushing, carrying tree branches and debris, and some buildings were buried as the mudslide struck. Meanwhile, the disaster has cut off roads, communication networks and power supplies at the border port area on the Chinese side, Xinhua reported.

In the wake of the disaster, China has activated a Level-II emergency response for disaster relief and a Level-II emergency response for geological disasters, the second-highest in the country's four-tier emergency response system. Governments at all levels have responded with immediate measures, making every effort to carry out disaster relief as well as search and rescue operations.

Three central government departments — the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Emergency Management and the National Development and Reform Commission — have altogether allocated 220 million yuan ($33 million) to support Xizang in carrying out emergency rescue and disaster relief work.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has deployed 249 personnel from the national comprehensive fire and rescue force, along with 325 engineering rescue personnel from China Anneng Construction Group, PowerChina and other centrally administered State-owned enterprises.

A total of 30,000 central relief items, including tents, stoves, clothing and quilts, folding beds and moisture-proof mats, have been sent to support the evacuation, resettlement and relief work.

At the local level, as of Wednesday afternoon, the Xizang Fire and Rescue Corps had deployed 72 vehicles and 431 fire and rescue personnel at the site, equipped with rescue dogs, life detectors, assault boats and other rescue equipment.

Five repair workers from the State Grid Xizang Electric Power Co — the first group of emergency power repair personnel to arrive at the site — rushed there with a medium-voltage power generator vehicle and two small emergency lamps, and started work to ensure basic power supply and lighting for nighttime rescue operations.

The local meteorological bureau has forecast continued rainfall across the county of Gyirong from Wednesday evening through Sunday, warning of possible floods, landslides and other secondary disasters in low-lying areas.