Authorities said 43 people had been confirmed dead and another 519 remained missing as of 6 p.m. Saturday after a mudslide struck Gyirong Port along the China-Nepal border in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Aug. 26.
Officials said at a press conference that 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were among those reported missing. The briefing followed a visit by journalists from international media organizations to the affected area over the weekend.
China has mounted a large-scale search and rescue operation following the disaster, which was triggered by the collapse of a glacier at high altitude in Nepal.
By 6 p.m. Saturday, more than 2,500 personnel and over 500 vehicles had been deployed to the rescue effort. Drones had carried out more than 1,000 flights, while 5.43 tonnes of emergency supplies had been delivered by air.
Local authorities have also assisted 1,720 Nepalese residents living near the Gyirong border area. A large number of Nepalese citizens who work or conduct business in Gyirong became stranded after the mudslide destroyed the border port, a key crossing they regularly use to travel between Nepal and China.
According to officials, China has additionally been providing Nepal with daily meteorological, hydrological and glacier-related information through an established disaster information-sharing mechanism.