By 4 pm on Monday, emergency rescue crews had advanced road-clearing operations to within 1.1 kilometers of Gyirong Port in Shigatse, Xizang Autonomous Region. This marks the final push through the most difficult section of the damaged National Highway G216, the main road leading to the port.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has deployed professional rescue teams from China Anneng Group to continue reopening the highway in Gyirong County. Crews are clearing debris, filling damaged sections, and placing rocks in fast-flowing water as they steadily progress toward the port.

A massive mudslide originating on the Nepalese side of the China-Nepal border struck Gyirong Port on Wednesday morning, causing significant casualties and leaving people missing. The disaster severely damaged G216, while electricity and telecommunications were also cut, greatly complicating search and rescue operations.

On Monday, China Anneng deployed 158 rescue personnel and 28 pieces of equipment, including excavators and loaders, to push toward the core disaster area. The operation has become increasingly difficult as crews approach a ravine near the port. A steep cliff with unstable rocks rises on one side of the work site, while a deep channel with strong currents lies on the other.

The narrow working space prevents large machines from operating side by side, while soft riverbed mud makes excavator tracks prone to slipping. Large rocks placed into the water are frequently swept away by the current, restricting the movement of machinery and the delivery of construction materials.

To overcome these conditions, rescuers have adopted a relay system using excavators to pass large rocks forward one machine at a time. The rocks are placed along the edge of the water to form a barrier against erosion before more material is filled and compacted behind it, gradually creating a new roadbed over damaged sections. In areas where the current is strongest, machinery has been driven directly into the water to extend the road section by section, allowing crews to build a temporary passage across the damaged river channel.

Safety monitoring has also moved forward with the construction teams as authorities guard against secondary geological hazards. Rescuers are using laser-based video and artificial intelligence monitoring equipment to track deformation of nearby cliffs around the clock and detect falling rocks or other signs of instability. Emergency escape routes have been established at the work site, and teams are required to issue warnings and evacuate immediately if monitoring systems detect abnormal changes in surrounding slopes.

On Aug 31, at a temporary accommodation for people affected by a mudslide in Gyirong county, Xizang autonomous region, five seventh-grade students from Kopa village in Salhe township are set to board a bus bound for their middle school about 70 kilometers away, to begin the new school year. Before their departure, villagers presented the children with khata scarves as blessings for the journey ahead.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov expressed deep condolences to China over the heavy casualties caused by a massive mudslide originating on the Nepalese side of the China-Nepal border in China's Xizang autonomous region on Monday.

All Chinese nationals who have been contacted in the disaster-hit area in Nepal have been safely relocated and accommodated as of noon Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday.

Guo made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to a question about the severe mudslide disaster that recently struck areas near the China-Nepal border.

China is making all-out efforts to search for missing Chinese and foreign nationals, Guo said.

Chinese authorities are also maintaining close communication with foreign embassies in China to jointly verify information about missing foreign nationals and handle follow-up matters, he added.

Three Wing Loong drones have provided more than 3,900 emergency calls in the mudslide-hit Gyirong Port area in Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, as rescue teams work to restore communications and assess disaster conditions, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The mudslide struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong county on Aug 26 after originating on the Nepalese side of the China-Nepal border. It severely damaged roads leading to the port and disrupted electricity and telecommunications, complicating rescue operations.

Following the disaster, the Ministry of Emergency Management and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology immediately deployed the drones to support emergency command communications and disaster reconnaissance.

As of noon on Monday, the drones had logged more than 130 flight hours and supported more than 3,900 calls, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

The drones established emergency communications coverage over the disaster zone, providing a vital link for rescue teams operating in areas where ground-based communications infrastructure had been damaged.

Operations have been complicated by the area's high altitude, low temperatures, turbulent air currents in mountain valleys and rapidly changing weather conditions. To maintain continuous coverage, flight crews adopted a range of operating methods, including remote takeoffs and landings from different locations, long-distance repositioning and simultaneous operations by two aircraft over the same area.

These measures enabled the drones to reach designated areas quickly and work together to maintain emergency communications support, according to the ministries.

In addition to providing communications services, the drones have continued to conduct aerial reconnaissance over the affected area, supplying information to support risk assessments and emergency command decisions.

Doctors providing psychological support and traditional Tibetan therapies at a temporary shelter in Gyirong town are helping evacuees cope with fear and sleep problems following the severe mudslide that hit Gyirong Port on Wednesday. They are also continuing health screenings for elderly people and children.

The massive mudslide, originating on the Nepali side of the border, struck the Gyirong Port area in Gyirong county, Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, at around 10:30 am on Wednesday. As of 6 pm on Saturday, the disaster had left 16 people dead and 546 others missing, according to regional authorities. A total of 499 residents from five at-risk villages have been relocated to temporary shelters converted from hotels and guesthouses.

Lhawang Tsering, a doctor from the Shigatse Tibetan Medicine Hospital, was dispatched to Gyirong to provide psychological support and Tibetan medical care. The four-member medical team left Shigatse on Wednesday, arrived in Gyirong at around 11 pm, and began working at the shelter the following morning. The shelter mainly accommodates residents evacuated from Trungsi village in Gyirong town and Kopa village in Salhe township.

"Some elderly residents witnessed the disaster and were deeply frightened," Lhawang Tsering said. "They were constantly worried that another disaster might occur." Some evacuees had difficulty sleeping or became irritable, while a small number experienced episodes of crying or fainting, Lhawang Tsering said. Some elderly residents also have underlying conditions such as high blood pressure.

The medical team has prioritized screenings for vulnerable residents, particularly elderly people and those whose relatives were affected by or remain missing after the disaster. Two local doctors on the team provide general medical diagnosis and treatment, while the other two members focus on psychological support and traditional Tibetan therapies.

In addition to counseling, doctors have used Horme therapy — a traditional Tibetan treatment similar to moxibustion — and Tibetan medicinal incense to help residents relax and ease emotional distress. Lhawang Tsering said the overall emotional state of evacuees had stabilized following the interventions, and no further episodes of crying or fainting had been reported.

The team is continuing to screen residents for common illnesses such as colds and diarrhea and to identify anyone who may need to be transferred to a higher-level hospital. None of the evacuated residents at the shelter was physically injured in the disaster, Lhawang Tsering said. However, the large number of elderly people and children means that regular health monitoring and targeted care remain necessary.

Rescuers had reopened the main access route to within 1.2 kilometers of the border gate at Gyirong Port in Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, by early Monday, as authorities prepared to intensify a new round of searches in the core disaster area, according to the frontline rescue headquarters.

A massive mudslide originating on the Nepalese side of the China-Nepal border struck Gyirong Port on Wednesday morning, causing major casualties and leaving people missing. The disaster severely damaged National Highway G216, the main road leading to the port, and cut electricity and communications.

The rescue headquarters said at a news conference on Sunday that rescuers were pushing southward along G216 from the northern side of Gyirong Port to reopen the route while searching for survivors and missing people along the route.

On Monday, China Anneng Group deployed 150 emergency rescue personnel and 29 sets of various mechanical equipment to the operation. As of 8 am Monday, crews had advanced another 508 meters.

The road remains a key access point for rescuers attempting to reach the hardest-hit area of Gyirong Port.

Progress has also been made in restoring communications. The first emergency base station close to the border gate at Gyirong Port began operating at 1:30 pm Sunday, extending communication coverage toward the core rescue area.

From the catastrophic collapse of a glacier at 5,200 meters in Nepal to the debris flow crashing into the valley at Gyirong Port, roughly 1,800 meters above sea level, it took just seven minutes to cover 22 kilometers at an average speed of 50 meters per second. This mudslide was larger, faster, and more powerful, leaving downstream communities with an extremely narrow window to evacuate and causing even more devastating destruction and casualties.

The first thing that struck Li Jinchong, a heavy machinery operator from the Chinese military, when arriving near the mudslide-hit Gyirong Port in the Xizang autonomous region was the scale of the disaster.

"The roads were damaged and the mountain slopes bore scars of torrents of mud and ice sweeping through," he said. "It was different from seeing the catastrophe on the news. I felt shock and pain."

This is Li's first deployment to a natural disaster of this scale. The 32-year-old soldier from the second mobile corps of the People's Armed Police Force has had seven years of experience operating excavators, wheel loaders and other heavy machines, though mostly for clearing ice and snow blocking transportation during freezing winters.

"I am used to the barren high plateaus, with gentle rolling mountains that stretch out," he said. "Here, it's different. The mountains are forested, steep and more imposing. Stepping in here, I can feel the tightness of the slopes as if they are closing in on us."

This is the narrow, treacherous space where Li and his fellow soldiers now operate. Sent to assist rescue operations for hundreds of people missing after the mudslide that hit Gyirong Port in Shigatse city's Gyirong county on Wednesday morning, their key mission is clearing debris and restoring transport on a stretch of highway leading to the hard-hit border crossing.

Despite the unfamiliar terrain, Li said he is confident operating the machine safely and efficiently, drawing on his rich experience with excavation and a determination to get the job done in harsh conditions.

Li was an undergraduate student in visual communication design from Yunnan province in Southwest China before joining the armed forces in 2018.

He said before moving from drawing to operating heavy machinery, he had resolved to excel in the discipline, spending day and night learning the intricacies of every machine he touched and honing his skills in complicated conditions, often marked by gusting winds and bone-chilling snow.

Now, that hard-won knowledge is being put to use again. At the site near Gyirong Port, he works by shaving tall piles of debris from the top down in layers, lowering the height gradually.

"The soil is loose here, so it is important to maintain a safe distance from the edge at all times to prevent tipping the machine or triggering a collapse," he said.

A key facet of becoming a proficient machine operator is guaranteeing safety.

Operating an excavator carries many risks. For instance, accidentally striking the excavator bucket on steel or hard rock buried in the mud could cause fragments to bounce as high as three meters, shattering the operator's windshield and endangering people nearby.

When operating wheel loaders, hitting pieces of rebar or fencing underneath can puncture tires. Blind spots around such large machines are also a constant concern.

Years of hands-on practice have enabled Li to internalize safety protocols.

"It is like we have developed muscle memory and are wired to stay on high alert when working to ensure absolute safety," he added.

Ensuring safety is also part of the motto that guides the work of Zhang Jian, a 38-year-old armed forces soldier who has also joined the mission in Gyirong county.

"Carefully selecting the machine's operating position and constantly making adjustments to prevent mud churning, and being aware of the risk of falling rocks from prolonged rainfall are among the hazards we should watch out for here," he said.

Zhang participated in rescue operations after the 8.1-magnitude earthquake in Nepal in 2015, as well as a number of domestic emergency road repair missions.

Compared to his level of expertise more than a decade ago, Zhang said he has found himself to have become more mature and patient, especially in acute circumstances.

"This is also a team effort. With everyone pulling together and cooperation between units getting smoother, we are making progress day by day," he said.

Thousands of netizens have left messages of support on the social media account of the local border inspection station in the Xizang autonomous region, after a mudslide originating in Nepal hit Gyirong Port in Shigatse on Wednesday, leaving personnel out of contact.

The official WeChat account of the Xizang general station of entry and exit border inspection, which oversees Gyirong Port, said on Saturday that it had been inundated with messages, prayers and good wishes from netizens across the country since Wednesday.

The post also featured a short video of officers at Gyirong Port. As of Sunday afternoon, the video had received about 130,000 likes, been forwarded over 11,200 times and had about 12,000 comments.

One netizen, with the username "Nanshanxianke", commented on the video: "They (the station officers) guard the nation's gateway with their lives." Others responded with prayers, saying, "May a miracle be with them, and may they all return safely."

"They are the pillars of their families. This is a tragedy for so many households," wrote a netizen named "Hezhouhuaer".

Another user, "Wuxibancaijiejie", posted a photo of a young woman in uniform sitting on a sofa, with a caption that read: "We are all waiting for you to come back. You have never made us worry during your more than a decade of service at the border. We believe you will return safely this time too. Your 1-year-old son calls out 'mom' every day."

Netizen "Yanjun" wrote: "Tears welled up in my eyes. Though we are strangers to one another, our hearts are connected. You are the people I respect the most."

The station concluded the post with an appeal for hope: "We seek no grand ode to heroism — only a miracle that endures. May it come, and may our fellow officers return safely."

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn

A total of 261 foreign nationals remained unaccounted for after a massive mudslide hit a border port in Gyirong county, Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, local authorities said on Sunday.

The foreigners, from 23 countries, include 104 from Nepal, 49 from India, 18 from the United States, 15 from the United Kingdom, six from Canada, six from Australia, four from South Africa and three from Russia.

The figures were announced at a news conference held by the regional government's information office, following joint searches and the cross-checking of information by authorities responsible for foreign affairs, public security, culture and tourism and emergency management.

After multiple rounds of inspections and population verification at the border port, no foreign tourists remained in Gyirong county, said Zhao Peng, vice-chairman of the regional government.

According to Zhao, who also serves as the deputy head of the disaster emergency and rescue command headquarters, the sudden and severe mudslide caused extensive damage to infrastructure and personnel records in the affected area, significantly hampering efforts to trace and verify information about those who are unaccounted for.

He said information on the unaccounted-for foreign nationals had been reported to their respective embassies. Two 24-hour English-language hotlines — 0086-891-6817165 and 0086-183-08026705 — have also been established for the families of the missing foreign nationals.

Foreign nationals currently registered in the county are primarily Nepali border residents, cross-border vehicle crews and Nepali individuals involved in international marriages, all of whom are safe, Zhao added.

"For Nepali border residents wishing to return to their home country, we will carry out transfer, transportation and customs clearance processes in a careful and orderly manner," he said. "For those who voluntarily choose to stay in Xizang, we will provide security and living support."

He emphasized that staff members will consistently respect the wishes and reasonable demands of the Nepali side, adhering to the principles of friendly consultation and prioritizing humanitarian needs.

A thorough evaluation will also be conducted to assess the departure needs of foreign tourists in Xizang, Zhao said, adding that authorities will facilitate their exit through ports in Lhasa, Burang and Zhangmu while ensuring their safe and smooth departure.

Additionally, communication with embassies in China will be maintained and strengthened to report work progress in a timely manner, he added.

Contact the writers at caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn

China delivered 50 metric tons of emergency relief supplies to Nepal on Sunday and dispatched nine tunnel rescue experts to assist with rescue operations following a deadly mudslide on Wednesday.

According to the Chinese embassy in Nepal, two Y-20 transport aircraft operated by the People's Liberation Army Air Force carrying 13,200 relief supplies arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Sunday morning.

The supplies included tents, blankets, sleeping bags, compressed food items and first-aid kits. They will be distributed in disaster-hit areas to help meet the basic living and emergency medical needs of those affected.

Four Chinese tunnel rescue experts and their equipment arrived in Kathmandu with the supplies, while five others had already reached the disaster area by helicopter from Gyirong county in China's Xizang autonomous region on Saturday and begun working at a hydropower station.

The delivery of relief supplies and the expert missions marked the latest progress in implementing China's assistance package for Nepal, which Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a phone call with his Nepali counterpart Shisir Khanal on Saturday included emergency cash assistance and humanitarian aid.

Wang said a sudden glacier collapse in the China-Nepal border area had triggered severe mudslides, causing significant casualties and leaving people missing on both sides.

He described it as the most serious cross-border disaster between the two countries in recent years, adding that the complexity and difficulty of the rescue and relief operations were unprecedented.

Wang said a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee had called for emergency aid to Nepal's disaster-hit areas and international rescue cooperation, noting that it was an important political decision reflecting China's friendship with Nepal.

China has also shared important information with Nepal, including imagery, satellite and hydrological data from the disaster-hit area, as well as early-warning information on upstream barrier lakes, Wang said.

Regarding Nepali citizens stranded on the Chinese side, Wang said China had made proper arrangements for them and would help them return to Nepal as soon as possible.

He thanked Nepal for its efforts to rescue and evacuate Chinese citizens in need, expressing hope that the Nepali side would continue such efforts.

In the face of the disaster, Wang called on China and Nepal to stand firmly together, work together to overcome the difficulties and demonstrate their traditional friendship across the Himalayas through concrete actions.

Khanal expressed sincere gratitude for China's emergency humanitarian assistance.

He said that although both Nepal and China had been affected by the disaster, China had overcome its own difficulties to convey sympathy and provide assistance to Nepal at the earliest opportunity, fully demonstrating the high level of Nepal-China relations.

Nepal will continue to work closely with China and make every effort to rescue Chinese nationals who remain trapped or missing, while working together to locate and rescue all missing foreign nationals, Khanal said.

He added that Nepal is ready to strengthen cooperation with China and further advance the strategic partnership between the two countries through post-disaster reconstruction and efforts to prevent and mitigate disasters, including responses to climate change.

Figures released by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority showed that workers had recovered 734 human remains from mudslide-hit areas as of 9 am local time on Sunday, with 2,498 people still missing.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING -- Gyirong county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region is expected to see more rainfall in the coming days, with significant nighttime precipitation, the National Meteorological Center said on Sunday.

From Sunday to Monday, Gyirong will experience light to moderate rain, and on Tuesday, it will see moderate to heavy rain at night, according to the forecast.

The rain comes as rescue and relief efforts are accelerating after a mudslide struck Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border on Aug 26.

A yellow alert for geological disaster risks, the third tier in China's four-level warning system, was jointly issued at 6 pm by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration. It warned of relatively high risks in parts of southern Xizang, including the Gyirong area, from 8 pm Sunday to 8 pm Monday.

Meteorological authorities advised caution over the next few days in the Gyirong Port area due to rainfall and elevated geological disaster risks. Drivers of rescue vehicles are urged to watch for slippery roads on routes from Xigaze to Gyirong and from Gyirong to Gyirong Port.

The collapse of a high-altitude glacier in Nepal triggered a deadly mudslide at a major China-Nepal border crossing. Experts said the underlying instability may be linked to a warming climate that is rapidly altering glaciers, permafrost and mountain slopes across the Himalayas.

The disaster occurred on Wednesday morning on the Nepal side of the border, sending a torrent of ice, rocks and debris toward Gyirong Port in Gyirong county, a major land crossing linking China and Nepal in Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region. The mudslide caused heavy casualties and left hundreds missing in China.

It was triggered by the collapse of a glacier at an elevation of about 5,200 meters on the southern slope of Langtang Lirung in Nepal. The glacier broke apart at about 10:52 am on Wednesday, triggering an icerock avalanche, the Xizang regional government said on Sunday.

The avalanche rapidly descended to an elevation of about 4,000 meters, scouring the mountain slope and generating a massive debris flow. It traveled 22 kilometers in seven minutes before reaching Gyirong Port, at an elevation of about 1,800 meters.

The disaster flattened about 0.7 square kilometers of the area and destroyed 27 buildings and associated facilities, authorities said.

The findings were based on an analysis of remote-sensing data and information transmitted from the disaster site, combined with field inspections and interviews conducted by a cryosphere emergency disaster mitigation team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Xu Qiang, president of Chengdu University of Technology, said the disaster's extreme destructive power was driven by geological factors, including the huge elevation drop of more than 3,000 meters.

The massive volume of debris and the sudden onset of the collapse also left little time for warning or response, Xu said.

The US Geological Survey similarly found that the disaster was likely triggered by a rapid slope failure involving a glacier in the Langtang National Park in Nepal.

Ben Mirus, a research geologist with the USGS, said glacier collapses combined with debris avalanches are relatively uncommon, but large landslides and rockfalls can cause devastating damage.

However, while scientists have identified the immediate mechanism, they have yet to determine why the glacier and surrounding rock became unstable and collapsed at that particular moment.

"It's really hard to attribute the exact trigger for this particular glacial collapse," Mirus said.

According to local meteorological data, there was no heavy rainfall near the outlet of the debris flow at the time of the disaster, making it unlikely that intense rainfall alone could explain the event.

Fan Xuanmei, director of the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection at Chengdu University of Technology, said that, based on current evidence, the collapse was likely the result of a combination of the region's geological setting and a warming climate.

The Himalayas are located along the collision boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Continued tectonic activity has fractured mountain rock and contributed to frequent earthquakes, leaving slopes vulnerable to failure.

"Against this long-term tectonic backdrop, climate warming is acting as an important 'amplifier'," Fan said.

She added that rising temperatures are accelerating the melting of snow and ice, intensifying freeze-thaw weathering of rock and reducing the stability of snow cover and glaciers, "thereby increasing the likelihood of large-scale avalanches, glacier collapse and rockfalls".

As glaciers retreat, they can also expose and leave behind large quantities of loose rock and sediment that can later be mobilized by a collapse, she said.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the world has warmed by about 1.4 C, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

China Meteorological Administration data shows that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau's average temperature increased by 0.37 C per decade between 1961 and 2022, faster than global and national averages.

The changing climate is also affecting the region's water systems. The area of lakes in 12 major river basins on the plateau increased 36.7 percent from 1990 to 2020, according to the administration.

Experts warn that these changes can create interconnected hazards rather than isolated disasters.

"Detecting such failures before they occur is extremely difficult," Fan said.

Potential source areas are often above 5,000 meters, where conventional field monitoring is difficult. Satellite observations can be limited by snow and ice cover and steep terrain, while monitoring equipment has to operate in extreme cold and high-altitude conditions.

"We also lack mature models capable of reliably predicting the complete chain from glacier or rock collapse to debris flow, mudslide and downstream flooding," she said.

The disaster also revealed gaps in cross-border monitoring. The debris flow reached China from the apparent source in Nepal within minutes, leaving little time for information to be transmitted to communities downstream.

"After the disaster, we immediately contacted experts in Nepal, but they also lacked data from relevant weather stations to confirm the conditions at the site," Fan said.

The changing Himalayan environment has made cooperation increasingly important, experts said.

China and Nepal could jointly build high-altitude meteorological and hydrological monitoring stations, share satellite remote-sensing and seismic data and establish rapid cross-border disaster notification mechanisms, Fan said.

Such efforts could also expand across the Himalayas, bringing together China, Nepal, India, Pakistan and international research institutions to develop shared monitoring networks and early-warning technologies, she added.

Contact the writers at zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn

Rescue teams are advancing by air, land and water routes into the hardest-hit area of the Gyirong border port in Gyirong county, Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, as search operations for hundreds of people missing after Wednesday's devastating mudslide were stepped up.

The disaster has so far left 16 people dead and 546, including 261 foreigners, missing.

In a major development, the first emergency communication base station at the Gyirong port was put into operation on Sunday afternoon. Located 1.2 kilometers from the border gate, the base station fills a communication coverage gap, providing stable and reliable support for rescue operations, road clearance, material transportation and front-line workers, Xinhua reported.

Communication signals have reached the core rescue site, Nyima Dorje, head of the region's communications administration, said on Sunday.

According to regional authorities, 499 residents from five at-risk villages had been evacuated to hotels and guesthouses.

Gama Cedain, chairman of the Xizang regional government and head of the emergency rescue headquarters, said the region activated its highest-level emergency responses shortly after the mudslide struck on Wednesday.

So far, 2,141 personnel from the People's Liberation Army, armed police, fire and rescue services, border defense and public security authorities, as well as from China Anneng Group, have been mobilized, along with 269 rescue vehicles and 3,922 sets of equipment, Gama Cedain said.

Ren Wei, executive vice-chairman of the regional government, said the rescue operations have been complicated by unstable geological conditions.

The disaster severely damaged National Highway G216, the main route to the Gyirong port. "The overall difficulty level of the rescue operation is far more than in a conventional geological disaster," Ren said.

Rescue teams opened a mountain route and used ropes to lower firefighters into the core area. Engineering teams were working to reopen G216 while searching for survivors and missing people along the road and nearby river. Two helicopters have flown into the core area to deliver supplies and transport personnel and victims, while specialized drones are providing communications support.

Basang Dondrub, a soldier from a unit of the Xizang Armed Police corps in Shigatse told China Daily that the force was continuing with road clearing and transportation work. "The machinery assisted in clearing roads and moving large rocks that couldn't be done manually. Meanwhile, personnel used shovels, pickaxes and their hands to dig and clear the ground and roads," he said.

Meanwhile, the barrier lake that was formed above the Gyirong port has basically drained, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Sunday, citing drone footage and images captured in the morning.

The ministry said an impact crater upstream of the barrier lake still warrants attention. Located about 5.6 km upstream at an altitude of around 3,700 meters, the crater is roughly 800 meters higher than the barrier lake.

Authorities are using satellite remote sensing, radar, hydrological monitoring and video surveillance to monitor the lakes, river channels and surrounding slopes. Eighty-six specialists have been sent to identify possible secondary hazards.

For evacuees, five temporary accommodation sites have been established, said Norbu Tsering, acting mayor of Shigatse.

The city has mobilized 380 Party members and officials, township workers and medical staff members to provide round-the-clock assistance. Special arrangements have also been made for the elderly, children, pregnant women and infants, he said.

Nyima Chozom, 28, from Kopa village in Salhe township, said she was cutting grass in a field on Wednesday when she saw debris rolling down the mountainside opposite her village.

"It sounded deafening, almost like an earthquake," she said, adding that trees were swept away and objects outside her home shook violently.

All eight members of her family were safely evacuated to a hotel. "We are safe now, and the conditions here are good," she said.

She said most of her family's crops had already been harvested and she was reassured after learning that troops were helping villagers with farmwork.

Wang Chao, deputy director of the disaster relief department of the Ministry of Emergency Management, said that more than 100,000 relief items had been allocated, enough to meet current rescue and resettlement needs.

On Saturday, China Daily reporters arrived in Gyirong town, Xizang autonomous region, to report from the frontline of the debris-flow rescue operation. Multiple rescue teams are conducting searches in the hardest-hit areas, combing through mud and debris for those still unaccounted for. Search and rescue efforts are being carried out across land, water and air, with inflatable boats, ground teams and drones deployed for search, reconnaissance and the delivery of emergency supplies. Rescue operations continue as teams work to reach those in need in the affected areas.

Nyima Chozom, a 28-year-old resident of Kopa village in Gyirong county, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, found safety and comfort at a relocation site after the mudslide. In an interview with China Daily, she recalled the terrifying moments when the disaster struck.

As a mudslide struck Gyirong Port, border police officer Huang Peng remained at his post, guiding people to evacuate to safety.