A landslide struck the China-Nepal border in Tibet’s Gyirong county on Wednesday, causing “major casualties” and leaving several people missing at the Gyirong Port, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.The landslide occurred at around 10.30 am local time and began on the Nepalese side before hitting the key border crossing in China.Devastating footage from the China-Nepal border showed people scrambling to safety as a massive wall of mud, water and debris swept through the Gyirong Port area in Tibet. CCTV footage posted on Xiaohongshu showed roads and buildings being inundated within seconds, with floodwaters and debris tearing through parts of the border crossing.Authorities closed roads leading to the checkpoint for seven days as rescue operations continued.The destruction cut roads leading to the port and knocked out power and communications on the Chinese side, while authorities warned of “major casualties” and missing people. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an “all-out” search and rescue operation.Across the border in Nepal, the flash floods destroyed villages, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. Nepal’s Tourism Board said 384 travellers were initially reported missing, including 291 foreign nationals; at least 105 Indians were among those unaccounted for.The disaster remained fluid, with the death toll rising through the day and authorities warning that the full scale of the casualties and destruction was still being assessed.China has sent about 200 rescuers, along with geologists and engineers, to the site, with additional personnel on standby. Rescue teams brought heavy machinery, reconnaissance drones, 3D laser scanners and life-detection equipment, Xinhua reported.Gyirong Port is Tibet’s main foreign trade port and handles most of China’s trade with Nepal. Two-way freight and passenger clearance resumed there in 2022 after the Covid-19 pandemic, and the port has since become a major route for Chinese exports to Nepal, including electric vehicles.The landslide also disrupted a strategically important trade corridor between China and Nepal. China allows trade and transit through six border points with Nepal, five of them in Shigatse, while the two countries have been pursuing a wider Trans-Himalayan connectivity network under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
