Police officers carry disaster relief supplies in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2026. Rescue teams are racing to a mudslide-stricken border port in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region after the disaster caused significant casualties along the China-Nepal border on Wednesday, local authorities said. A mudslide occurred on Wednesday morning in Nepal, resulting in three people dead and 265 missing at Gyirong Port in Gyirong County of Xizang as of 8 p.m., according to initial estimates. (Xinhua)

China continued to ramp up rescue operations on Thursday following a devastating mudslide in Gyirong county, Xigaze, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. A 111-member rescue team was airlifted to the disaster area, a Wing Loong drone was deployed for emergency communications, and a PLA Y-20 transport aircraft carrying a Western Theater Command guidance team was dispatched to coordinate joint rescue efforts. Continued rainfall and the discovery of a barrier lake near Gyirong Port, however, could further complicate operations and raise the risk of secondary disasters.

The first chartered flight carrying the 111 members of the rescue team took off from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport early Thursday morning and was scheduled to arrive at Tingri airport before 8:30 am, China Media Group (CMG) updated on Thursday morning.

The rescue team, dispatched by the Ministry of Emergency Management and the National Fire and Rescue Administration, carried equipment and supplies for reconnaissance and detection, lifesaving, breaching, communications and logistical support. Most of the personnel are from fire and rescue teams in Beijing and Southwest China's Sichuan Province, and four experienced search-and-rescue dogs were also aboard the flight, according to CMG.

Tingri Airport was chosen because it is closer to the disaster area than Xigaze Airport, allowing rescue personnel and equipment to be deployed closer to the affected region, CMG reported.

A Wing Loong emergency communications unmanned aerial vehicle dispatched from Sichuan Province meanwhile reached the airspace above the disaster area at around 2 am on Thursday and begun providing emergency communications support. The drone is equipped with high-definition cameras for aerial reconnaissance, as well as mobile base stations operated by China's three major telecom carriers and a satellite communications system, according to CMG.

The operation comes as rescuers face difficult weather and terrain conditions. A barrier lake has been detected in the direction of Gyirong Port, while rain continued to fall in the area Thursday morning, according to a report from the Xigaze military sub-command cited by CMG.

The sub-command has mobilized 158 personnel, four pieces of engineering machinery and more than 20 vehicles, together with life-detection devices and other rescue equipment. The edge of the mudslide is about 2.5 kilometers from Gyirong Port and deposits there are nearly 1.5 meters thick, making further rescue operations more difficult. Observation posts will be deployed to assess the risk of secondary disasters, according to the report.

Police officers carry disaster relief supplies in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, August 26, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

A Y-20 transport aircraft of the PLA Western Theater Command Air Force has taken off, carrying a guidance team from the Western Theater Command to Xizang to organize joint rescue operations by the PLA following the mudslide disaster in Gyirong county, Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday morning.

Rain continued in the area, with temperatures feeling around 10 C. Meteorological authorities said rain was expected over the next three days along the route between Gyirong Port and Dingri Airport, potentially complicating rescue efforts.

The mudslide struck the Gyirong Port area at around 10:30 am on Wednesday after a major disaster occurred on the Nepalese side of the border, according to China's Ministry of Emergency Management.

As of 8 pm Wednesday, three people had been confirmed dead and 265 others remained missing in Gyirong county, according to the local rescue headquarters. The final casualty figures remained under verification.

By early Thursday, 601 firefighters with 113 vehicles had been mobilized, while 325 personnel from engineering rescue teams, including China Anneng and PowerChina, had also been dispatched, according to Xinhua. The central government has sent 30,000 disaster-relief items including tents, heating stoves, clothing, quilts, folding beds and moisture-proof mats to Xizang.

The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management have allocated 120 million yuan ($16.8 million) from central disaster-relief funds, while the National Development and Reform Commission arranged another 100 million yuan for emergency restoration of infrastructure.

Communication facilities were also affected. Five mobile communications base stations in the disaster area went offline, according to information released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Telecommunications operators mobilized emergency repair personnel, vehicles, generators, satellite phones, emergency fiber-optic cables and portable satellite communications equipment to restore connectivity.

The disaster also caused catastrophic damage across the border in northern Nepal.

At least 157 bodies had been recovered in Nepal by late Wednesday, Reuters reported, citing officials.

International expressions of sympathy followed the disaster. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said through his post on X on Thursday that he was deeply saddened by the severe flooding in China and Nepal, extended condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a swift recovery.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also expressed condolences over the loss of life in China and Nepal and paid tribute to rescuers working at the disaster sites, saying that Germany stands ready to support, in a post on X on Thursday.