Catastrophic Mudslide Destroys Gyirong Port on China-Nepal Border

On August 26 2026 a high-altitude glacier on the Nepal side of the border collapsed, sending a massive mudslide and flood down the valley that engulfed Gyirong Port in Tibet’s Shigatse prefecture. The five-storey customs building, travel agencies, a supermarket and a bridge were swept away, leaving only a fragment of a water tower and a Chinese flag marking the former gate. Surveillance footage captured people fleeing as the wave struck, and no survivors have been found at the checkpoint.

South China Morning Post

Gyirong Port had been a primary crossing for tourists and traders between China and Nepal, handling hundreds of daily travelers to the nearby Rasuwa port. The disaster follows the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which had already damaged alternative routes, making Gyirong the key trade artery for the region.

South China Morning Post

• August 21 2026 – Li Leiyang began her post at Gyirong Port.

South China Morning Post

• August 26 2026 – Glacier collapse triggers the mudslide that destroys the port.

South China Morning Post

• August 28 2026 – Yang Qiqiao arrived to lead rescue operations.

Tibet: The Mudslide Buried Homes, the Communist Party Buried the Numbers

• September 1 2026 – Drone footage shows excavators and rescue workers at the core disaster area.

43 dead, 519 missing after mudslide hits China-Nepal border port

• September 6 2026 – About 20 rescue workers continue excavations.

CNN

• Chinese authorities reported 43 confirmed deaths and 519 missing, including 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries.

CNN

• The Business Times cites 31 confirmed deaths and 531 missing in China, and over 1,300 total deaths across both countries with 5,000+ missing.

Tibet: The Mudslide Buried Homes, the Communist Party Buried the Numbers

• Rescue deployment: more than 2,500 personnel, over 500 vehicles, 1,000+ drone flights, and 5.43 tons of emergency supplies delivered by air.

43 dead, 519 missing after mudslide hits China-Nepal border port

• The search area is divided into seven zones; four are cleared, three remain active.

China Rescue Teams Search Gyirong After Mudslide Disaster

Pu Weidong, executive deputy director of Tibet’s Public Security Department, said more than 60 specialists and three laboratories are examining fingerprints, genetic data and other identifiers, using immigration records and location tracking to match missing persons. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Council Information Office organized an international media visit to demonstrate transparency and the scale of the response.

CNN

• Death tolls vary: Chinese officials cite fewer than 20, 31, or 43 confirmed deaths, while Nepal reports over 1,000.

Tibet: The Mudslide Buried Homes, the Communist Party Buried the Numbers

• Missing persons figures differ: 519 versus 531 on the Chinese side, and over 5,000 missing across both countries.

CNN

• No public list of individuals present at the port at the time of the disaster has been released.

43 dead, 519 missing after mudslide hits China-Nepal border port

The loss of Gyirong Port disrupts the primary trade and travel route between China and Nepal, affecting cross-border commerce and pilgrimage traffic to Mount Kailash. The disaster highlights the vulnerability of high-altitude infrastructure to climate-induced glacial failures.

China Rescue Teams Search Gyirong After Mudslide Disaster

Rescue teams continue layer-by-layer excavation while monitoring for secondary landslides and potential breaches of newly formed barrier lakes. Chinese officials have warned of possible further collapse around Langtang Lirung mountain, which triggered the initial slide, and have pledged ongoing joint monitoring with Nepalese authorities. Road access, restored on Wednesday, enables heavy machinery to reach the site, and power is being partially restored via temporary poles. The focus remains on locating the missing and providing information to families.

CNN