Rescuers maintain round-the-clock searches after mudslide in Xizang

Rescue teams at Gyirong Port in the Xizang autonomous region will maintain round-the-clock searches in the core disaster area while adjusting deployments as risks evolve and strengthening monitoring of secondary disasters, evacuation planning and logistical support, regional authorities said on Wednesday.

Wang Haitao, head of the Xizang Fire and Rescue Corps, said at a news conference that high-altitude protection and psychological support for rescuers would also be strengthened.

As of noon on Wednesday, 21 victims had been found, 847 personal belongings had been recovered and 541 people remained missing.

The mudslide struck Gyirong Port in Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, on Aug 26 after originating on the Nepalese side of the China-Nepal border. It cut off roads to the hardest-hit area and exposed rescuers to steep terrain, deep mud and the risks of rockfalls, landslides and barrier lakes.

Before the main land route was restored, fire and rescue teams used coordinated land, water and air operations to reach the disaster zone, Wang said.

An advance team descended more than 500 meters by rope and reached the core area at 4:30 pm on Aug 28, where it established a forward command post.

Rescuers then divided the area into grids and conducted repeated searches using manual excavation, search dogs, detection equipment and machinery. Waterborne teams searched riverbanks and sediment-filled sections, while drones conducted reconnaissance and helicopters supported personnel rotation and supply deliveries.

With road access restored, operations have shifted from reaching the core area to conducting deeper searches.

An additional 65 firefighters and more than 200 pieces of equipment have joined an initial force of 24 rescuers and two search dogs. Teams are now searching from the surface into deeper debris, focusing on areas around the border gate, collapsed structures, thick mud deposits, river valleys and other hard-to-reach locations.

Fire and rescue teams are mainly responsible for two key areas — the customs accommodation building and a parking lot. A 195-member task force has been divided into three rotating groups to conduct layer-by-layer searches, clearing debris and checking each newly exposed section before moving deeper.

Large machinery is being used to open up working areas, while firefighters, search dogs and detection equipment conduct more precise searches.

Geological and water resources experts are continuing real-time risk assessments, while teams monitor landslides, barrier lakes and other potential secondary hazards.

Wang said rescue forces would continue adjusting deployments, maintaining day-and-night shifts, refining evacuation plans and coordinating heavy machinery and helicopter support. They will also strengthen logistical support, personal protection and psychological services for rescuers engaged in prolonged operations.