People feared missing after landslide near China-Nepal border

Landslide cuts off road, power and communication on China-Nepal border, buildings engulfed, people feared missing. A landslide has swept down and cut off roads, electricity and telephone lines at the Gyirong Port border crossing in southwest China, engulfing buildings and leaving people feared missing and buried under the mud, Nepal news reported on Wednesday.

The landslide occurred on the Chinese side of the border near Gyirong Port in Xizang Tibet, a key crossing with neighbouring Nepal, news agency Xinhua cited local officials saying. Earlier in the week, a separate flash flood ravaged Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district as the Bhote Koshi River burst its banks causing havoc along its path, particularly in Timure and Syapru Besi close to the border with China.

The two regions are linked by the Gyirong-Rasuwa border crossing, which in the past has been affected by severe floods and landslides. The roads leading to Gyirong Port had been damaged, as had power lines and communication facilities.

On the Nepalese side of the border, the army, police, and rescue and disaster management teams have been deployed for search and rescue purposes, with citizens in flood-prone areas encouraged to evacuate to safety. The extent of damage and casualties on the Chinese side could not be ascertained as work on rescuing and evaluating the damage was ongoing.