GYIRONG, Tibet/Nuwakot, Nepal — Chinese rescuers finally reached one of the worst-hit areas along the China-Nepal border after a catastrophic Himalayan flood tore through the region — and found the once-busy Gyirong border crossing reduced to wreckage.
The 21-member Chinese rescue team, accompanied by a search-and-rescue dog, reached the devastated border complex on Friday after roads and normal access routes were destroyed by the disaster.
The team had to cross mountains and valleys, using ropes to navigate forests and steep cliffs before reaching the site.
“There was no road,” rescue worker Zou Mingqi told Chinese state media, describing the route as largely virgin forest and sheer cliffs. At the border complex, he said, there was “nothing but ruins.”
The scene underscored the extraordinary force of the disaster that struck the Himalayan region on Wednesday.
A border crossing wiped out
A massive torrent of rock, ice, mud and water swept through the China-Nepal border area after a high-altitude glacier collapse triggered a devastating debris flow.
Dramatic footage showed floodwaters and debris racing through the Gyirong border complex, engulfing buildings and people as they attempted to escape.
Satellite imagery and independent reports have since shown the scale of the destruction, with major structures, roads and other infrastructure in the border area either destroyed or buried beneath mud and debris.
The Gyirong-Rasuwagadhi crossing is an important trade and transportation link between China and Nepal and is also used by travelers and pilgrims heading toward Tibet, including people traveling toward Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.
Death toll and missing persons continue to rise
The disaster has become one of the deadliest floods to strike the region in years.
Nepal’s disaster authorities reported 579 deaths and 1,924 people missing in the country in the latest figures cited by Reuters. China subsequently reported seven deaths and 554 missing at Gyirong Port, bringing the combined figures to at least 586 deaths and roughly 2,478 missing people.
The figures remain fluid as rescue teams reach isolated communities, identify recovered bodies and receive new reports from families, workers and travelers.
Hundreds of foreigners are among those unaccounted for. Many were traveling through the region for work, trekking or pilgrimage, including Hindu pilgrims heading toward sacred sites in Tibet.
India has separately reported that hundreds of its nationals remained uncontactable, while others stranded on the Chinese side of the border were reported safe. Indian authorities said the situation remained dynamic as rescue and tracing efforts continued.
Rescue efforts face another threat
Even as rescuers search for survivors, authorities are confronting the possibility of another flood.
The original disaster created barrier lakes in the mountainous region. One of them began overflowing into downstream river systems, briefly forcing rescue operations to stop as officials assessed whether a larger surge could follow. Operations later resumed after authorities judged the immediate danger manageable.
Satellite imagery has also shown another upstream lake growing without an obvious outlet, prompting continued concern over rising water pressure and the possibility of a secondary disaster.
Chinese authorities have deployed thousands of rescue personnel and specialists to the affected area and established monitoring operations to watch the unstable terrain and barrier lake.
Nepal’s worst-hit communities remain cut off
On the Nepalese side, the destruction extends far beyond the border crossing.
The flood swept through villages and valleys along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, destroying roads, bridges, homes and hydropower infrastructure.
The route is also an important connection between Kathmandu and Tibet and is heavily used by tourists, trekkers, traders and religious pilgrims.
Rescuers have used helicopters, heavy equipment and search dogs to reach isolated areas and recover survivors and bodies.
Nepal’s army has also been involved in rescuing workers trapped inside hydropower tunnels. Radio Nepal reported that 191 workers were rescued from tunnels in the affected area, while thousands of security personnel have been mobilized for search, rescue and relief operations.
A rare story of survival
Amid the devastation, rescuers have also found survivors.
One of the most remarkable cases involved an eight-year-old boy who survived after the flood destroyed his school.
The boy escaped by running into a forest and climbing trees as floodwaters swept through the area. He was later found injured and taken to a hospital, where he was eventually reunited with his mother.
His rescue offered a brief moment of hope in a disaster where families across Nepal, China and other countries are still waiting for news about missing relatives.
The danger is not over
More than 90,000 people have been affected by the disaster, according to Red Cross estimates cited by Reuters. Relief operations have been complicated by destroyed roads, damaged bridges and the continuing threat from unstable glacial lakes.
Chinese authorities have ordered closer monitoring of glacier lakes, landslide risks and other potential secondary hazards. Premier Li Qiang visited the disaster area, while China’s leadership called for intensified search-and-rescue efforts and greater international disaster cooperation.
For rescuers reaching the devastated Gyirong crossing, however, the first priority remains finding those who may still be alive.
The landscape they encountered offered little reassurance: a vital Himalayan gateway once filled with people, vehicles and buildings had been transformed into a field of mud, ice, rock and shattered infrastructure.
And with another unstable lake still being watched upstream, authorities face a race against time — not only to find the missing, but to prevent the Himalayas from unleashing another wave of destruction.
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