China held memorial services on Tuesday for victims of the deadly flash flood that struck Gyirong county in Tibet near the Nepal border last week, as rescue and recovery operations continued in the disaster-hit region.
Services were held at the Gyirong Port branch of the Xigaze Public Security Bureau and at rescue sites, with rescuers, local officials and residents observing silence in memory of those killed, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Images published by state broadcaster CCTV showed soldiers, doctors and rescue workers with their heads bowed as they observed a moment of silence.
The flash flood, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche, struck the Gyirong border area on August 26, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds of people missing.
Official figures put the number of dead in China at 16, with another 546 people missing after floods tore through parts of Nepal and Tibet, sweeping away entire villages. The Tibetan provincial government confirmed the same toll.
Including at least 987 deaths in Nepal, the total number of people killed in the disaster has surpassed 1,000. As of Monday, the death toll in Nepal was 939, with around 4,000 people still missing. The disaster also caused extensive damage on the Nepal side of the border, where search and rescue operations have been intensified.
Gyirong, the hardest-hit county in Tibet, held several memorial services including at rescue sites. Among the missing in the disaster are 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries, including 49 Indians, according to the authorities.
Chinese rescuers were “working round the clock” on Sept 1 to reopen a major highway to allow for emergency supplies and workers to reach the Gyirong Port border post, Xinhua said. The mudslide disrupted power supplies and damaged a section of the highway, hampering rescue efforts, it added.
Experts warn that the Gyirong area may be hit by significant rainfall in the coming days.
China is expected to send its second batch of relief resources to Nepal on Sept 1, Beijing’s foreign ministry said. “It includes drones, DNA testing equipment, water purification and lighting equipment, and other supplies urgently needed by Nepal,” spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters at a news briefing.
“China will firmly stand with Nepal, working hand-in-hand to overcome these trying times, showing neighbourly friendship through concrete actions,” he added.