On August 26, sudden floods and mudslides broke out at the China-Nepal border, with the Gyirong Port in Tibet becoming a terrifying symbol of the disaster. Foreign media witnessed on Sunday (September 6) that the once bustling Gyirong Port no longer exists, with the five-story customs building completely destroyed.
Following the flood, videos briefly circulated on Chinese social media showing the Gyirong Port being engulfed by the flood, resembling apocalyptic scenes. However, these videos were quickly deleted by the Chinese authorities.
At the same time, the Chinese government tightly controlled reports about the disaster. The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China criticized the Chinese authorities on Friday (September 4) for not allowing foreign journalists to enter Tibet for reporting. Under pressure, the Chinese Foreign Ministry organized a visit for international media to the site on Sunday (11 days after the flood), with CNN reporting that it was a “carefully arranged” visit by Beijing to showcase rescue efforts at Gyirong Port.
Gyirong Port used to be a transit hub between China and Nepal, with a large number of traders and tourists passing through daily. But on August 26, Gyirong Port was engulfed by a massive flood and mudslide, with surveillance footage showing buildings and people on the ground being swallowed in an instant.
According to reports by CNN and Reuters journalists who visited the ruins of Gyirong Port on Sunday, this vital transportation hub in a high-altitude area has been completely washed away, leaving only a desolate landscape covered in rocks, debris, and mud, resembling the surface of the moon.
The towering five-story Chinese customs building that stood on the border before the disaster is now gone, with only remnants of its foundation remaining. The only visible structure in the area is part of a nearby water supply tower facility, surrounded by desolate gray-black muddy ground.
“After the incident, when we started digging, all we could see was the remnants of the foundation,” said rescuer Zhang Xiaojun during an interview with CNN on site. “All the buildings above were swept away by the mudslide. It’s heartbreaking to see. So many Chinese compatriots lost their precious lives in this disaster.”
Upon entering the disaster area, the air was thick with dust, and the original roads were completely destroyed, now covered with debris.
Other areas of Gyirong Port have also suffered severe destruction, with travel agencies, supermarkets, and a bridge connecting China and Nepal all razed to the ground and buried under the mud and debris.
Currently, no survivors have been found at Gyirong Port. It has now become a focal point of concern for families of missing persons from China and around the world, anxiously awaiting any news about their loved ones, as they believe that during the tragedy, these family members were at the border checkpoint.
The Chinese authorities have yet to release a list of individuals who were at the border checkpoint at the time of the incident, or those believed to be missing on the Chinese side of the border. This lack of transparency has sparked dissatisfaction among the public, especially among the families eagerly awaiting news about their missing relatives.
Beijing’s strict control over information starkly contrasts with the situation in Nepal, which was also hit by the flood. Information release from the Chinese side has been slow and mainly disseminated by state-controlled media, while in Nepal, both the government and other channels have been more frequent in providing updates on the disaster.
As of Sunday night local time, the Chinese authorities confirmed for the first time in nearly two days the latest figures, stating that 43 people had died and 519 were missing in the border areas on the Chinese side.
Relatives of the missing persons, as well as diplomats representing countries with citizens missing, privately expressed growing dissatisfaction with the limited information provided by the Chinese government.
Diplomats told Reuters that as bodies are gradually being found, the Chinese side has not detailed how they will conduct DNA identification for the deceased.
They also mentioned that the Chinese authorities have yet to answer some questions, including whether surveillance footage from Gyirong Port (such as facial recognition images) can be provided to the families of the missing or used to help identify the deceased.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry claims that China’s information dissemination regarding the flood is transparent and timely.