Rescuers Push Through Final Kilometer of Mudslide-Hit Highway in Tibet

Rescue teams in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region are working to clear the final kilometer of a highway severely damaged by a mudslide, as search and recovery operations continue in the affected area.

The mudslide, triggered by a glacier collapse on the Nepalese side on Wednesday morning, has left at least 16 people dead and 546 missing in Gyirong County. The G216 national highway has been largely impassable since the disaster, blocking access for rescue workers and heavy equipment to the worst-hit zone.

As of 05:00 Tuesday, the rescue corridor had been extended to the final kilometer of the hardest-hit area, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management. The work site sits in a deep valley with steep cliffs on one side and a fast-flowing river on the other. Water speeds have reached 6 to 7 meters per second, and the mudslide has undercut the roadbed, washing away large sections of pavement and leaving thick mud that offers no stable ground for machinery.

To overcome these challenges, rescuers from China Anneng Engineering Rescue are using a relay method to transport and dump large rocks to stabilize the roadbed. In the most turbulent sections, they are driving machinery directly through the water, building spur dikes to redirect flow, and dropping gabion baskets to reinforce the foundation, extending the road meter by meter.

Safety monitoring has been stepped up with laser video AI detectors, slope radar, and drones providing round-the-clock surveillance of the mountain slopes on both sides of the newly built sections. The equipment detects even minor shifts in terrain, assesses risks, and issues early warnings to safeguard rescue crews.

The operation continues with teams working in shifts to keep machinery running without interruption, pushing forward with all available resources to reconnect the road.