China shares data with nations of 261 foreigners who remain unaccounted for

China has established communication and information-sharing mechanisms with the 23 home countries of the 261 foreign nationals who remain missing following the mudslide that struck Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border.

Through the China-Nepal disaster information exchange mechanism, meteorological, hydrological, glacial lake and glacier data are being transmitted to Nepal daily, a senior official said on Sunday.

Ren Wei, executive deputy commander of the emergency rescue headquarters and executive vice-chairman of the Xizang autonomous region, said all relevant information had been promptly communicated to the respective embassies in China through diplomatic channels.

A 24-hour dedicated hotline for families of the missing foreign nationals has also been established and has received 509 calls as of Sunday. Each inquiry had been followed up on, with responses relayed to the next of kin, Ren said.

At the request of the Nepali side, the Chinese government dispatched tunnel rescue and DNA identification experts to Nepal, along with emergency relief supplies. The Xizang autonomous regional government also provided 320 metric tons of Bailey bridge components — designed for the rapid assembly of temporary bridges — and other relief supplies to Nepal.

Yang Lahong, deputy director of the Xizang foreign affairs office, said the region had carried out verification of information on the missing people in a rigorous, prudent and standardized manner.

The region released basic information on the missing people initially identified a day after the disaster. On Aug 30, it published additional details of the missing foreign nationals verified through joint investigations and rapid cross-checking by multiple departments.

While the breakdown by country and number of missing people was made public by authorities, the specific list and personal details have not been released due to privacy concerns. Instead, the information was communicated to the relevant embassies through diplomatic channels, with a collective briefing held on Tuesday, Yang said.

For safety reasons and to ensure efficient and orderly rescue work, no non-professionals were allowed to enter the affected core areas until conditions were fully prepared, she said.

To keep the public informed while ensuring safety, a small number of Chinese journalists were arranged to accompany rescue teams into the core areas despite the difficult terrain. Their reports and footage were subsequently released and widely used by domestic and international media, Yang said.

Regarding the families of the missing foreign nationals, the region expressed sympathy during these difficult times. In addition to providing regular authoritative updates and notifying families through diplomatic channels, authorities have kept the 24-hour hotline operating, with personnel diligently verifying information and providing feedback.

Currently, efforts are focused on rescue and recovery. After the search operation concludes, authorities will confirm and notify the status of deceased foreign nationals and assist their families with follow-up procedures.

For those who remain missing, assistance will be provided within China's legal framework, including arrangements for their families to visit Xizang, in coordination with relevant foreign diplomatic missions, she added.