- A landslide in Nepal on Wednesday generated an explosive flood wave that ripped through a border area with China, and a Chinese worker's wife, given the pseudonym Lili, last heard from her husband at 8:27am that day, about 10 minutes before the disaster.
- More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead after the catastrophe, according to authorities in both China and Nepal, and around 100 Chinese nationals are unaccounted for in the disaster-affected area on the Nepal side, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.
- China dispatched nine rescue tunnel experts to Nepal over the weekend and opened two dedicated hotlines for Chinese families seeking information.
- Families of missing Chinese workers traveled to Lhasa to seek information from the state-backed construction firm Tibet Tianlu Company, which runs the reconstruction of Nepal’s Syabrubesi-Rasuwagadhi highway, and urged the company to step up rescue efforts and share more information.
- China’s Foreign Ministry said the country was 'making every effort to search for and rescue people reported missing both in China and abroad,' and that all Chinese nationals reached in the disaster zone in Nepal had been safely evacuated, without giving a specific number.
- In a draft letter to government officials in Tibet, relatives of 24 workers on the highway project expressed concern about a gap in “cross-border rescue efforts,” noting that Nepali rescue resources are severely limited and Chinese rescuers are temporarily unable to cross the border.
- The families also called for authorities to require the company to establish a regular update mechanism for search and rescue progress, so that 'information is transparent and timely.'
- A man in his 20s, called Jun, said his father was working at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydroelectric Project, where more than 500 workers remained missing as of the latest update from the Independent Power Producers Association Nepal; the project is being built by a Korean engineering firm with a subsidiary of Chinese state-backed PowerChina involved.
Rescue operations are underway in Nepal following a catastrophic landslide and flood that has claimed over 1,000 lives. The disaster, which occurred near the border with China, has left around 100 Chinese nationals unaccounted for, raising concerns among families and officials.34
The landslide struck on Wednesday morning, shortly after a worker communicated with his family. Lili, a woman whose husband is missing, stated, “I haven’t heard from my husband since.” He was involved in the reconstruction of the Syabrubesi-Rasuwagadhi highway, a project managed by the Chinese state-backed Tibet Tianlu Company.
Families of the missing workers have expressed frustration over the lack of cross-border rescue efforts. A letter from relatives of 24 workers highlighted the limitations of local resources in Nepal and the restrictions preventing Chinese rescuers from accessing the site directly. “Local rescue resources and manpower in Nepal are severely limited,” the letter stated.
China’s Foreign Ministry has assured that it is making every effort to locate missing individuals, both domestically and abroad. They have sent emergency aid and dispatched rescue experts to assist in the search. As of the latest reports, over 500 workers remain missing at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydroelectric Project, which involves multiple international firms.1112
Families are urging for more transparency and regular updates on rescue operations, as many have struggled to get information through newly established hotlines.
“Families of missing workers traveled to Lhasa to urge Tibet Tianlu Company to step up rescue efforts and share information, citing a gap in 'cross-border rescue efforts' as Nepali resources are limited and Chinese rescuers cannot cross the border. China has sent aid, shared satellite data, and dispatched nine tunnel experts, but hotlines remain busy.”
