Chinese rescuers reach checkpoint destroyed by deadly flash floods along Nepal border
Footage taken at Gyirong Port in Tibet shows scenes of utter devastation following disaster that killed hundreds of people
The disaster left five dead and 558 missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county, while Nepal reported 579 dead and 1,924 missing as of 7pm on Friday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to his Nepalese counterpart, Ram Chandra Paudel, following the devastating mudslides, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Xi also chaired a meeting of the Politburo that promised to send “urgent emergency assistance” and offered “international rescue cooperation” with Nepal, state news agency Xinhua reported.
“Search and rescue operations face extreme difficulty due to the high-altitude, frigid environment, steep valleys, volatile weather and lingering geological hazards from surrounding glaciers and glacial lakes,” the Politburo said.
Despite these hazardous conditions, the first team of 21 firefighters and a rescue dog reached the worst-hit area of Gyirong checkpoint around 5pm on Friday, according to state media.