Rescuers advance on Gyirong mudslide site from multiple fronts

Rescuers are pushing toward the core of Gyirong Border Port from multiple directions after a severe mudslide struck the area in Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, on Wednesday, officials said at a news conference on Sunday.

A rescue team has opened a mountain path from the east side of the port, allowing firefighters and rescuers to reach the core area by rope descent, said Ren Wei, deputy commander of the emergency rescue headquarters for the disaster and vice-chairman of the regional government.

"Another team is working from the north side of the port to clear a passage along the G216 highway, the main access route to the port," he said. "Search operations are continuing along both sides of the passage and the nearby Gyirong Zangbo River."

Two helicopters from the Xizang Military Command have also been deployed to deliver supplies, transfer personnel and transport victims' remains, Ren said.

Rescue operations remain difficult, as the mudslide severely damaged the G216 highway and cut power and communications to the port.

Ren said an overflowing barrier lake upstream from the National Gate area remains the most significant risk to rescue operations. Assessments indicate that the lake has already overflowed and is currently stable, with a low likelihood of a complete breach.

Taking advantage of the current window for rescue operations, teams will accelerate efforts to open access routes and step up searches in the core area, Ren said. More rescuers and equipment will be sent in by air and land to search for survivors and missing people, while authorities also speed up the transfer and identification of recovered remains and strengthen monitoring and early warning for secondary disaster risks.

Su Pengcheng, a researcher at the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said analysis of remote-sensing data and field information indicated that the disaster originated on the Nepalese side of the China-Nepal border area.

A glacier at an altitude of about 5,200 meters began collapsing at 10:52 am on Wednesday, triggering an ice-rock avalanche, Su said. The material rapidly descended and developed into a massive debris flow, reaching Gyirong Port, at an altitude of about 1,800 meters, at around 10:59 am.

The disaster flattened about 0.7 square kilometers, including 27 buildings and related facilities, and damaged roads, communications and power infrastructure around the port.

Su said long-term climate warming had contributed to glacial instability, while the disaster's sudden onset, high speed and extensive impact highlighted emerging risks from cryosphere-related hazards on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding areas.

He warned that rescuers should closely monitor the upstream area for possible secondary disasters as operations continue.