Chinese PM Li Qiang Arrives at Tibet Landslide Site, Says 550 Still Missing

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Tibet on Thursday (27/8/2026) to inspect the site of a catastrophic flash flood and mudslide. According to a report by the Xinhua news agency, more than 550 people are still reported missing as a result of the disaster that struck the border region.

PM Li landed in Gyirong County, Xizang Autonomous Region (Tibet), leading a delegation of senior officials. The visit aims to directly oversee search and rescue (SAR) operations, assess the scale of infrastructure damage, and provide moral support to affected residents and aid workers on the ground.

Chinese authorities confirmed that the disaster was triggered by a mudslide that struck the main land port connecting China and Nepal on Wednesday (26/8). To date, three people have been confirmed dead and 558 are reported missing in Chinese territory, including 260 foreign nationals.

As an immediate measure, Beijing has activated a level-one emergency response. In Gyirong County, more than 300 residents from various settlements around the port have been evacuated to safer locations with the assistance of rescue teams from border inspection units.

The disaster has also had a fatal impact on the Nepalese side of the border. Nepalese authorities reported at least 289 deaths, while 826 others remain unaccounted for. In total, more than 1,300 people, including nearly 900 foreign nationals, are reported missing on both sides of the Himalayan border.

Satellite imagery analysis indicates that the flash flood and mudslide were most likely triggered by the release of a large block of ice from a Himalayan glacier. The ice release point was detected approximately 20 kilometres northeast of the Rasuwa-Rasuwagadhi border crossing.

Large-scale search operations are currently ongoing amid difficult terrain, with the primary focus on locating hundreds of victims buried under landslide material and swept away by floodwaters.