GYIRONG, (China): Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived at Gyirong township in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region Thursday (Aug 27) afternoon, after a massive mudslide hit the area Wednesday (Aug 26) morning.
Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is entrusted by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to lead a group of senior officials from relevant departments to the disaster-hit area.
They will supervise rescue and relief operations, and visit rescue and relief personnel and people affected by the disaster.
The mudslide, which occurred on the Nepalese side, struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong county, Xizang, on Wednesday morning.
As of 8am on Thursday, three people had been killed, 558 others remained missing, while two local villagers had been rescued, said Norbu Tsering, the first commander of the on-site headquarters. Among the missing, 260 have been identified as foreign nationals.
On Thursday morning, a directing group from the Western Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been dispatched to coordinate joint rescue operations by military personnel in the county.
Carried by the Y-20 transport aircraft of the western theater command, the group will organize military forces to assist in disaster relief efforts.
The command responded immediately following the disaster, mobilising multiple rescue forces to the affected area to assist in road clearance, disaster assessment, search and rescue operations, and relocation of affected residents.
The team dispatched will assume unified command over PLA and Armed Police Force rescue units, with aviation, medical, transportation, and engineering corps fully prepared for timely operations when they are needed.
According to China's Ministry of Emergency Management, the first team of 141 rescuers has arrived at the border port on Thursday morning.
A high-altitude helicopter has also arrived at the disaster-hit area, the ministry said.
Another batch of 111 rescuers from the China Search and Rescue team has arrived at Gyirong county as of 2.28pm Thursday, and will head to Gyirong Port to carry out rescue operations.
An eight-member advance team from China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise, arrived in the county early Thursday with communications and detection equipment to collect key data and support efforts to address an upstream blockage, which is a top priority.
Only after the risk posed by the blockage is addressed can the debris accumulated about 3km upstream of the port be safely cleared, according to rescue personnel at the site.
Hundreds more rescuers, carrying equipment and supplies for detection, rescue, communications and logistical support, are rushing to the site.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the mudslide, over 300 villagers from several villages near the port, with the assistance of rescue forces of Xizang's border inspection authorities, have been evacuated to safe places in Gyirong county for their safety.
Nearly 100 Chinese nationals missing
At a regular press briefing on Thursday, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Lin Jian said nearly 100 Chinese nationals remain missing on the Nepalese side after the mudslide.
The Chinese embassy in Nepal is further verifying the information with the Nepalese side, Lin said. - China Daily/ANN
