43 killed, 519 missing after landslide in China — ECNS
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in the Gyirong Port area of the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwestern China following a devastating landslide that occurred on August 26. As of 18:00 on Saturday, 43 deaths had been confirmed and another 519 people were considered missing, ECNS reported, citing a Xinhua report.
Challenging search conditions
Rescue operations are being complicated by new landslides, adverse weather, deep mud and difficult-to-access mountainous terrain. According to ECNS, secondary disasters, including landslides and newly formed lakes caused by debris blockages, have repeatedly interrupted the work.
Journalists from CNN, Reuters, Press Trust of India and Associated Press of Pakistan visited the disaster area on September 5–6. A Reuters reporter at the scene saw Chinese rescuers searching for missing people despite the risk of landslides, adverse weather and deep mud.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The road to Gyirong
CNN reported that the road to the affected area runs through difficult mountainous terrain and sections of roads covered with gravel. International journalists set out from Lhasa and traveled for about eight hours to Dingri County, located at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. The journey to Gyirong then took approximately another six hours.
One of the Chinese rescuers told journalists that at the beginning of the excavation, only the foundations remained of the buildings. Asgar, a correspondent for the Associated Press of Pakistan, said that rescue teams are working around the clock. Mukunda, a reporter for Press Trust of India, noted the large number of trained specialists, special vehicles and equipment involved.
