A massive landslide in Jirong County, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of southwestern China, has completely obliterated a village, shocking the nation.
According to two satellite images released by the state-run Xinhua News Agency, a border village in Jirong County was buried under debris. One image was taken in January of this year, while the other was captured on August 26.
The January image clearly shows the border crossing between China and Nepal, a bridge named Wuyiqiao, a stream, a border police station, residential homes, and customs facilities. However, the post-disaster image reveals that the village has been entirely covered by mud and debris, with no signs of the bridge or stream visible.
As the devastating images circulated online, Chinese netizens expressed their shock. Comments included, "This is truly shocking and unexpected," "I hope someone survives and can be rescued," and "I can hardly bear to look at the photos. Let us pay our respects to the comrades who lost their lives while stationed at the border."
The landslide has resulted in three confirmed deaths and left 558 people missing in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Among the missing, 260 are foreign nationals. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated during a briefing on August 27 that they are verifying the nationalities of the missing foreigners, noting that some are tourists and pilgrims. The status of any South Korean victims has not yet been confirmed.
The Chinese government is mobilizing all available resources for rescue operations. On August 27, Li Qiang, the Premier of the State Council, arrived at the scene to oversee emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts, following an order from President Xi Jinping. The Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level 4 emergency response for flood defense at 1 p.m. on August 27, monitoring rainfall and water levels.
The landslide occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. on August 26, originating from the Nepal side and affecting the border area of Jirong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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