China-Nepal floods: rescuers pull 2 survivors out of rubble near Tibet border crossing

China sent nine specialist tunnel rescuers to Nepal in response to a direct request from Kathmandu following a destructive series of floods. At least 544 people remain missing in China after the disaster, while 675 have been confirmed dead. In Nepal, the toll stands at 675 fatalities and nearly 2,500 are unaccounted for, many of whom are foreigners.

Five Chinese tunnel experts were flown into the flood zone by helicopter from Gyirong county in Tibet, joining rescue operations at a hydropower plant in the border region. Four additional Chinese experts were later dispatched to the area. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to clear mud and debris, reopen roads, and airlift essential supplies to frontline rescue efforts.

Despite challenges posed by recent heavy rainfalls, progress has been made in clearing the national highway leading to Gyirong Port, with approximately 1.5km of the route cleared as of Saturday afternoon. Advanced monitoring equipment, including laser-video artificial intelligence sensors, has been deployed to track sub-millimetre shifts and provide timely alerts to rescue workers.

While fears of a potential breach in the barrier lake – a 100,000 square meter debris formation spanning 14 football pitches – have eased, the threat of secondary disasters remains, according to senior engineer Chen Hongqi of the Ministry of Natural Resources. The first two survivors were found alive near the Gyirong border checkpoint on Friday, but no survivors have been located at the border crossing itself. International aid from Hong Kong and Macau has also been pledged to support Nepal's rescue efforts.