GYIRONG, Xizang, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- "Is anyone there?" Rescuers crouched down together and called out in unison every few meters, as they picked their way through mud, boulders and chunks of rock.
Since Saturday morning, the members of the Sichuan provincial fire and rescue corps of the China Search and Rescue team have been carrying out a sweeping search in key areas at the mudslide-stricken border port of Gyirong in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.
The team has been searching the heart of the disaster zone, with torrents of muddy water still surging in the nearby waterway. They sifted through piles of rocks and picked through what appeared to be the wreckage of a vehicle, as seen in Xinhua video footage.
A fast-moving chain mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse on the Nepalese side, had left seven people dead and 554 others missing at Gyirong Port in Xizang on the China-Nepal border, as of 1 a.m. on Saturday.
China immediately sent professional rescuers, firefighters and military forces to search for those missing. A total of 2,141 rescue workers and 86 specialists have arrived at the disaster-hit area, according to the latest update by the region's emergency management department.
Rescuers at the site are also guarding against falling rocks and potential breaches of a barrier lake formed by the mudslide. Excavators were busy repairing a key road to facilitate entry into the port.
Earlier on Saturday, drones were seen delivering supplies to rescuers already stationed in the core disaster area, launched from a supply zone three kilometers away from the mudslide-hit port.
Huo Jianxin, a member of the advance group from the China Search and Rescue team, told Xinhua on Friday night that the team would deploy drones, search dogs and life-sign detectors in search operations. The team reached the core disaster zone on Friday afternoon.
"After we saw the situation here upon arrival, my team and I had just one hope: as long as there is even the slightest chance of finding survivors, we will never give up," Huo said.
Rescuers say operations remain challenging due to the harsh terrain, the risk of secondary disasters, damaged roads and disrupted communications.
The meteorological department is forecasting light to moderate rain or thunderstorms across most of Gyirong County until Sunday. The downpours could trigger flash floods, mudslides and landslides in vulnerable areas, potentially disrupting rescue work.
Local authorities have warned that a barrier lake, formed upstream of the port by the glacier collapse, sits in an unstable geological setting and could breach, endangering rescue operations downstream.
The mudslide has destroyed a section of the G216, a national highway leading to the port, seriously hampering emergency response and rescue efforts.
China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise, deployed 60 technical and skilled personnel and mobilized 14 pieces of engineering rescue equipment, including excavators and loaders, to try to reopen the damaged section of G216.
Fire and rescue personnel have formed three specialized teams for search and rescue operations: one entering by rubber boats on waterways, another traveling on foot through mountainous terrain, and the third conducting aerial reconnaissance and supply drops via drones. ■
