BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A fast-moving chain mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal, struck Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Aug. 26, causing heavy casualties and leaving many missing.
Chinese rescuers immediately launched an all-out effort to reach the mudslide-hit port area and search for the missing. Here is what we know about the deadly mudslide and the latest rescue and relief progress in China:
-- Sixteen people have been confirmed dead and 546 others remain missing after the mudslide struck the border port, according to the regional government's latest update.
A total of 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries have been identified as unaccounted for.
-- An ice-rock avalanche originating from a high-mountain glacier in Nepal has been identified as the cause of the mudslide.
-- Restoring road access to the mudslide-hit Gyirong Port remains the top priority as rescue efforts continue in Xizang, a local official said Tuesday.
Nearly 700 personnel are involved in the effort to repair the G216 national highway leading to the port on the China-Nepal border, according to Norbu Tsering, deputy head of the emergency rescue headquarters and acting mayor of Xigaze City.
-- Drone footage seen by Xinhua reporters showed that by around 6 p.m. Tuesday, crews had repaired the highway on a limited basis, allowing search and rescue vehicles access to within some 700 meters of the port.
-- More than 2,000 personnel have joined the search and rescue operations, including those from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police Force and China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise.
-- As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, telecom operators in Xizang had restored one base station and added 12 emergency base stations in areas affected by the mudslide, ensuring uninterrupted communications for emergency command, rescue operations and supply coordination.
-- The barrier lake above the Gyirong Port has been fully drained and risks associated with it are now under control, according to an assessment by a team of experts on Tuesday.
-- Meteorological services will be further bolstered to support rescue and relief operations at Gyirong Port, the China Meteorological Administration announced Tuesday.
New technologies and methods will be applied to monitoring, forecasting, early warning and risk assessment for potential weather events around the rescue site and surrounding areas, an official said.
The administration also vowed to enhance international cooperation and technological innovation to accelerate the improvement of risk perception and emergency response capabilities.
-- China has dispatched the second batch of emergency humanitarian aid for Nepal, including water purification and lighting equipment, genetic testing devices and drones. ■
