A major landslide and debris flow in the Himalayas on the morning of Aug. 26 pushed down the valley and struck Jilong County in Shigatse. Inspection buildings at the Jilong border port, the Resuo bridge, and nearby warehouses and shops were heavily damaged.

According to Chinese announcements, deaths and a substantial number of missing persons had been tallied as of the afternoon of Aug. 28, with searches continuing. Roads, communications and power to the port were cut immediately after the disaster and are being restored in stages.

Leadership meeting and relief deployment

The Communist Party's Political Bureau met to discuss rescue and relief work. Participants stood for a silent tribute to the victims as the session opened. The meeting placed the search for survivors first and set out arrangements for sheltering displaced residents, restoring roads and communications, and preventing secondary disasters.

China's leadership also sent a message of condolence to neighboring Nepal. Because the disaster occurred within one river system spanning the border, the two sides are sharing information and cooperating on hydrological monitoring.

What the border trade means here

Jilong is one of the main overland ports linking China and Nepal. Household goods, construction materials and consumer products moved through it, and warehouses and small shops handling transshipment clustered nearby. Much of that infrastructure was swept away.

Restoring the port's functions is expected to take time. If freight between the north and south sides of the Himalayas detours for a period, prices and supply on the Nepali side will feel it.

What remains

Authorities are watching for the collapse of barrier lakes formed upstream. Lakes created when debris dams a river can burst at once as water rises, so downstream evacuation and continuous monitoring are required. Sinophone Bridge Times will continue reporting on rescue progress and the port's restoration.