Three people were confirmed dead, 558 missing and two villagers rescued as of 8 a.m. Thursday following a mudslide in Gyirong County, Shigatse, Xizang Autonomous Region. Of the dead and missing, 260 are foreign nationals. The figures were released by the frontline command center upon preliminary verification and are still under verification. Rescue operations are in full swing in an orderly manner.
A Y20 transport aircraft of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater Command Air Force took off on Thursday morning bound for the Xizang Autonomous Region to join the rescue efforts.
The first group of 141 rescuers arrived at the mudslidestricken Gyirong Border Port on Thursday morning. Another batch of 111 rescuers with the China Search and Rescue Team reached Gyirong County at 2:28 p.m. Thursday and will proceed to Gyirong Port for rescue missions.
An eight-member advance team from China Anneng, a State-owned engineering and rescue enterprise, arrived in Gyirong county early Thursday with communications and detection equipment to collect key data and support efforts to address an upstream blockage, which is a top priority. Only after the risk posed by the blockage is addressed can the debris accumulated about 3 km upstream of the port be safely cleared, according to rescue personnel at the site.
The enterprise said a further 310 technical experts and rescue personnel, including specialists in geology and engineering, were quickly mobilized from cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Lhasa. The team, equipped with 120 sets of advanced, purpose-built equipment, including multifunctional survey drones, 3D laser scanners, life-detection devices, large excavators, and loaders, were expected to arrive at the disaster site on Thursday afternoon, the group said.
Following the disaster, the Ministry of Natural Resources activated a Level II geological disaster defense response and emergency surveying response. It has dispatched additional geological and emergency surveying experts, and instructed relevant departments to launch emergency data collection in the affected area without delay. As of press time, remote sensing imagery acquired by the ministry had been provided to relevant parties.
Continuous rainfall brought secondary landslide risks, halting the advance of main forces and heavy equipment. Elite teams were dispatched to clear debris and reinforce slopes, racing to reopen vital roads.
Rescuers are prepared for continuous operations. Once conditions allow, they will push into the core affected zone to search for the missing, evacuate stranded residents and prevent secondary hazards, in an all-out effort to safeguard people’s lives and property.
