31 Confirmed Dead and 531 Missing in Kerung Floods on China-Nepal Border

Summary of News with Editorial Review: Following a landslide on August 26 in the Girong area along the China-Nepal border, floodwaters have resulted in the confirmed deaths of 31 individuals as of Friday evening. According to the local disaster management center, 531 people remain missing after the glacier-induced flood. Over 2,300 rescue personnel, more than 400 vehicles, 8,000 pieces of equipment, and 24 helicopters have been mobilized for relief efforts. Dated September 5, Kathmandu.

The disaster management and rescue center in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region in the southwest confirmed that by 6 p.m. on Friday, 31 people had died due to flooding caused by the landslide on the China-Nepal border at Girong. The command center reported that 531 individuals are still unaccounted for following the glacier-origin flood, and rescue teams have recovered 987 personal items in the affected area.

By Wednesday, inspections along the G-216 rescue route identified 58 potential geological hazard sites, according to officials. They have completed risk assessments and inspections of three affected villages and selected sites for two temporary emergency shelters. Guidance has been provided for emergency supply management to those locations.

To identify and prevent secondary disaster risks, 172 experts and technicians—including professionals from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, as well as officials from meteorology, natural resources, water resources, and emergency management—remained actively engaged on-site until 4 p.m. Wednesday. The glacier-triggered snow and rock landslide blocked the Girong port and destroyed a section of the G-216 highway leading to the port, damaging buildings and electrical infrastructure. This severely hindered disaster management and rescue operations. Nevertheless, China immediately deployed helicopters, speedboats, and rubber boats to transport rescuers to the landslide-affected port. Rescue teams reached the area after a grueling 12-hour trek over steep mountain roads on foot. Currently, approximately 2,300 rescue personnel, more than 400 search and rescue vehicles, over 8,000 sets of professional equipment, over 800 drone flights, and 24 helicopters are actively involved in the response effort.