China Tibet mudslide leaves 3 dead, 265 missing near Nepal border

A massive mudslide and flash floods hit the Tibet-Nepal border, leaving three dead and hundreds missing. The disaster cut off access and utilities, prompting an all-out rescue and relief push.

In Short

• Roads, power and communications to the Chinese border port were severed
• Drone footage showed port buildings buried under thick debris and mud
• China activated Level-II emergency responses for geology and disaster relief

At least three people were killed and 265 were reported missing in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region after a massive mudslide hit a border area with Nepal on Wednesday, according to official media. The disaster also cut off roads to the Chinese side of the border port, along with communications and power supply.

President Xi Jinping ordered all-out efforts to search for and rescue those missing after flash floods swept through villages and towns near the China-Nepal border in Tibet, causing heavy casualties. Chinese authorities have launched full-scale rescue operations in the affected area.

State-run Xinhua news agency reported that the mudslide had left three people dead and 265 missing as of 8 pm local time on Wednesday. The landslide struck near the border crossing between China’s Tibet Autonomous Region and Nepal, and drone footage showed some buildings at the port buried under debris.

The Ministry of Natural Resources activated a Level-II emergency response for geological disasters, the second-highest in China’s four-tier system, and sent a team to the site to guide rescue work and prevent secondary disasters. The National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief, along with the Ministry of Emergency Management, also activated a Level-II emergency response for disaster relief.

Authorities allocated 30,000 relief items, including tents, stoves, clothing, quilts, folding beds and moisture-proof mats, to support evacuation, resettlement and relief work. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management also released 120 million yuan in central natural disaster relief funds to support emergency rescue and relief operations in Xizang, the name China uses for Tibet.

The National Development and Reform Commission separately earmarked 100 million yuan in central budget investment for post-disaster emergency recovery and reconstruction. The National Energy Administration coordinated with power companies for emergency repair work to restore electricity in the disaster-hit area. The Global Times reported that local authorities had sent personnel to the area, where communications had been cut off.

The Chinese Embassy in Nepal activated its emergency response mechanism after the flash flood struck the Rasuwa area in northern Nepal along the China-Nepal border. It assessed the situation of Chinese citizens and enterprises in the affected area, urged the Nepalese government and relevant agencies to carry out rescue efforts, and issued a fresh safety advisory to Chinese citizens and institutions in Nepal. Overall, rescue and relief operations remained under way on both sides of the border after the mudslide and flash floods disrupted access, power and communications in the region.

With PTI Inputs

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