- Chinese rescue teams worked through the night and relentless rain to restore the last remaining kilometre of the sole road leading to the Gyirong border crossing into Nepal, torn apart by a catastrophic mudslide last week.
- Road repairs began Wednesday, after a sent mudslides and floods tearing through river systems in both Nepal and China.
- By Tuesday afternoon, more than 60 rescuers had trekked into the disaster zone, combing the wreckage twice for survivors, CCTV said.
- With river currents flowing at 6 to 7 metres per second — up to six times normal river speeds — efforts to rebuild the road over the past few days have been repeatedly swallowed up by the rapids, state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday.
- The crater left by last Wednesday's glacier collapse — estimated to hold water equal to 260 Olympic swimming pools — is shrinking, CCTV reported Monday. But authorities fear a fresh glacier collapse into the crater could trigger another disaster, while forecasters warn of heavier rain through Wednesday, threatening to swell rivers and lakes even further.
- National Highway 216, the vital artery running along the Gyirong Tsangpo river to the border, was gutted when a backflow of debris gushed in from the direction of the border crossing complex.
- The scars of the mudslide's force are etched into the surrounding slopes, reaching 60 metres (196.85 feet) high, roughly the height of a 20-storey building.
- While earlier lakes formed on the Tibetan side from debris flushed down from the glacier collapse have gradually, landslide risk and a volatile body of water upstream in Nepal could still dam the rivers — and any sudden burst could send a fresh torrent into the rescue zone.
Rescue efforts at the China-Nepal border are facing severe challenges as teams work to restore the last kilometre of road to the Gyirong crossing, devastated by a mudslide.
The mudslide, triggered by a glacier collapse, has resulted in 16 confirmed deaths and 546 individuals still missing, according to China's official reports.
Rescuers are navigating a treacherous landscape, with river currents flowing at 6 to 7 metres per second, significantly hampering their efforts. The road repairs began after mudslides and floods wreaked havoc on both sides of the border.24
The National Highway 216, a crucial route along the Gyirong Tsangpo river, was severely damaged when debris surged from the border crossing complex.7
As of Tuesday afternoon, over 60 rescuers have combed the disaster zone twice in search of survivors. However, the risk of further landslides looms, with authorities warning of potential glacier collapses that could exacerbate the situation.
The crater formed by last week's glacier collapse is estimated to hold water equivalent to 260 Olympic swimming pools and is shrinking, but the threat of additional rain could swell rivers and lakes, complicating rescue operations further.56
The mudslide's impact is evident, with scars reaching 60 metres high on surrounding slopes, highlighting the disaster's magnitude.
“More than 60 rescuers have combed the wreckage twice, but river currents flowing at 6-7 metres per second—up to six times normal—have repeatedly swallowed rebuilding efforts. The crater left by the glacier collapse, holding water equal to 260 Olympic swimming pools, is shrinking, yet authorities fear a fresh collapse could trigger another disaster.”
