Search and rescue intensified on Friday at the mudslide-stricken border port of Gyirong in the southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region as rescue personnel raced against time to save lives.

As of 10am on Friday, a total of 681 fire and rescue personnel and 113 vehicles arrived at the remote mountainous border area, while 6,612 pieces of rescue equipment and logistical supplies have been dispatched to Gyirong Township, according to the National Fire and Rescue Administration.

The mudslide, which occurred on the Nepalese side, struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong County, Xizang, on Wednesday morning.

The death toll from the disaster rose from three to five people, with 558 people still missing, Chinese state media reported on Friday.

"As of 3 pm ... the disaster has caused five deaths and 558 people are missing," broadcaster CCTV said.

The first team of 141 rescuers, as well as a high-altitude helicopter, arrived at the port on Thursday morning. Another batch of 111 rescuers from the China Search and Rescue team reached Gyirong County in the afternoon.

The fire and rescue personnel have formed three specialised teams for search and rescue operations: entering by rubber boats on waterways, traveling on foot through mountainous terrain, and conducting aerial reconnaissance and supply drops with drones.

An advance team has also been sent to the core disaster area to conduct mapping, reconnaissance and targeted monitoring of both the site and the barrier lake using drones and telescopes.

Thirteen experts from the Shanghai Fire Research Institute of the Ministry of Emergency Management have also arrived at the site.

China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise, sent out a 15-strong team on Friday with reconnaissance drones, portable satellite stations and mobile surveillance cameras to conduct on-site surveys of the blockage and surrounding roads to provide accurate data for efforts to address the barrier lake.

The debris accumulated about three kilometres upstream of the port can only be safely cleared once the risk posed by the blockage has been resolved, according to rescue personnel at the site. (Xinhua/AFP)


Edited by Aaron Tam