In the early hours of Tuesday, July 8th, a sudden mudslide occurred in the area around the Jilong Port, causing 17 people to go missing.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, at around 5 a.m. on July 8th, a mudslide disaster occurred at the Jilong Port on the border between China and Nepal. A large amount of mud and sand cascaded down, washing away the bridge at Jilong Port and burying many vehicles. Preliminary statistics show that 11 people on the Chinese side are missing, while 6 Chinese construction workers on the Nepalese side are unaccounted for.
The 11 missing individuals on the Chinese side include port personnel, truck drivers, and several local residents. The 6 missing Chinese construction workers on the Nepalese side were involved in the preliminary survey work for the China-Nepal cross-border railway.
Rescue efforts are still underway, with rescue workers discovering signs of life, including a trapped individual sending out a distress signal via their mobile phone.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as resembling a “chocolate waterfall.” Others reported that the mudslide instantly destroyed the China-Nepal “Friendship Bridge,” covering the Nepalese customs inspection station and washing away many containers, trucks, and cars.
According to reports from “Extreme News,” the bridge leading from Jilong Port to Nepal has been damaged, temporarily interrupting the transportation of goods and trade through Jilong Port.
The Jilong County police stated that due to the rainy weather conditions, the road from Jilong County to the national gate at Jilong Port has been under strict control in both directions. A section of the G216 national highway in the Jilong Port area has been affected by mudslides, leading to a disruption in traffic. Starting from 8 a.m. on July 8th, the traffic police unit has been enforcing strict traffic control on this section of the road, prohibiting passage. The lifting of these restrictions will be announced at a later time.
Jilong Port is located on the southwest border of Tibet, in a mountainous gorge area with an altitude of over 1800 meters. It is an important border trade route between China and Nepal, situated approximately 85 kilometers from the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu. The port handles 60% of the trade between the two countries.