PTI
Beijing
Chinese officials on Friday said more than 1,000 people, including 555 tourists, have been evacuated from Gyirong County near the Tibet-Nepal border after devastating flash floods that caused heavy casualties.
The flash floods struck Gyirong Port in the Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday, sweeping through villages and towns near the China-Nepal border area. Three people were killed in Tibet and 469 in Nepal, while hundreds of others remain missing.
499 villagers and construction workers as well as 555 affected tourists were evacuated in Gyirong County and transferred under the coordination of cultural and tourism authorities.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
No tourist remains stranded in the area now, according to the state-run Global Times.
Residents affected by the flash floods in Gyirong County have been resettled, and all stranded tourists have been transferred, Xinhua quoted local authorities as saying.
Civil aviation authorities also joined the rescue efforts.
By Thursday, civil aviation services had transported 324 rescue personnel and delivered 24 tonnes of rescue equipment, daily necessities and medical supplies to the disaster-hit area, providing support for emergency response and the relocation of affected residents, the report said.
Roads leading to the port on the Chinese side were cut off by the flash floods, which also impacted communications and power supplies.
State-run CGTV reported that phased progress has been made in restoring emergency communication support and infrastructure.
