Dogs And Rescue Teams Hunt For Hundreds Still Missing Near China-Nepal Border

Search teams pushed through deep mud at Gyirong Port on Sunday as the hunt continued for at least 546 people who remained missing after a deadly cross-border mudslide between China and Nepal. Sixteen people had been confirmed dead on the Chinese side by Saturday evening. Across the border in Nepal, the death toll stood at 788 people by Sunday evening, with 2,502 still missing. Footage shows rescuers and search dogs picking their way through thick mud and debris beside a rocky river, with mountains towering in the background. Teams are also seen clearing debris, while technicians work on communications equipment. The Ministry of Emergency Management said 711 fire and rescue personnel, 120 vehicles and 13 search dogs had been mobilised for continuous searches. With mud more than a metre deep in parts of the disaster zone, rescuers are using rope systems, life-detection equipment and dogs to search key areas. The Xizang Fire and Rescue Corps also airlifted 11 personnel and 1,240 pieces of rescue equipment into the core disaster zone on Sunday. Technicians have also pushed communications coverage closer to the border. China Unicom said the first emergency base station near the Gyirong Port border gate went into operation at 13:30 local time on Sunday, about 1.2 kilometres from the gate. By 20:37, telecom operators had repaired one damaged base station and deployed nine new ones, extending signals into the core search area. The disaster struck on August 26, triggered by a huge glacier collapse and landslide.