GYIRONG, Xizang, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Restoring road access to the mudslide-hit Gyirong Port remains the top priority as rescue efforts continue in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, a local official said Tuesday.
Nearly 700 personnel are involved in the effort to repair the G216 national highway leading to the port on the China-Nepal border, according to Norbu Tsering, deputy head of the emergency rescue headquarters and acting mayor of Xigaze City.
Drone footage seen by Xinhua reporters showed that by around 6 p.m. Tuesday, crews had repaired the highway on a limited basis, allowing search and rescue vehicles access to within some 700 meters of the port.
The final stretch of the highway to Gyirong Port was severely damaged by the mudslide, cutting off road access and hampering rescue operations in the disaster area.
While road repairs continue, rescuers have spent four consecutive days searching a 0.7-square-kilometer area around the border gate using life detectors and other equipment, Norbu Tsering said.
Heavy rainfall is expected over the next two days, while supplies and additional personnel are being airlifted into the core disaster area to sustain rescue operations.
The mudslide, caused by an ice-rock avalanche in Nepal, hit Gyirong Port on Aug. 26, claiming 16 lives and leaving 546 others missing at the border port as of 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the regional government's latest update.
More than 2,000 personnel have joined the search and rescue operations, including those from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police Force and China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise.
The PLA Western Theater Command's air force deployed drones on Tuesday to monitor changes in high-risk areas, providing information to support disaster response and coordination of rescue operations.
A unit of the People's Armed Police Force used machinery in coordinated operations to level an open work area covering several hundred square meters, creating space for emergency support personnel and resources to be positioned closer to the disaster zone.
A medical and epidemic prevention team provided medical and psychological support and disinfected affected areas. The team is also working to meet the basic medical and epidemic prevention needs of rescue workers and disaster-affected residents.
Following the mudslide, China's meteorological authorities have launched coordinated sky-ground observation for Gyirong Port, employing satellites, weather radars and ground-based stations to support weather monitoring and forecasting services in the affected areas, according to the China Meteorological Administration on Tuesday.
To address challenges posed for meteorological monitoring and forecasting due to complex terrain in the areas, the administration has coordinated the use of observation equipment, including Fengyun meteorological satellites, in key areas such as the disaster zone, barrier lake areas, upstream catchment zones and downstream river banks.
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, telecom operators in Xizang had restored one base station and added 12 emergency base stations in areas affected by the mudslide, ensuring uninterrupted communications for emergency command, rescue operations and supply coordination.
After the disaster, telecom operators dispatched repair teams and activated all-operator emergency mode and 5G roaming services to improve coverage in the border area.
The barrier lake above the Gyirong Port has been fully drained and risks associated with it are now under control, according to an assessment by a team of experts on Tuesday.
Earlier radar surveys put the barrier lake's area at about 0.1 square kilometers with up to 2.2 million cubic meters of water. Rescue workers closely monitored water inflows and changes in the dam through on-site observation, video surveillance and slope-monitoring radar.
The charity federation of Xigaze has issued a public notice on donation channels for disaster relief, accepting bank transfers and on-site donations.
Meanwhile, China has dispatched the second batch of emergency humanitarian aid for Nepal, including water purification and lighting equipment, genetic testing devices and drones.
