China steps up rescue efforts after deadly Nepal floods
China's President Xi Jinping on Friday chaired a meeting of the ruling Communist Party to review the situation following massive flash floods along the Tibet-Nepal border that have killed hundreds of people and left many others missing.
The meeting focused on rescue and relief operations after flash floods struck Gyirong County in China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday. Xi and other senior officials observed a moment of silence at the start of the meeting to honour those who died in the disaster, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Officials said emergency rescue efforts were launched swiftly and were being carried out in a coordinated manner, alongside measures to relocate people affected by the floods. The meeting called for scientifically planned search-and-rescue operations and directed authorities to make every possible effort to locate missing Chinese and foreign nationals.
The death toll in Nepal has climbed to 469, while three people have died in Tibet. More than 550 people were reported missing in Tibet, while around 100 Chinese nationals remained unaccounted for in Nepal.
Chinese authorities said about 1,000 people, including 555 tourists, had been evacuated to safety, although officials have not yet provided details about their nationalities. Several Indian pilgrims travelling on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra were also reportedly stranded following the floods.
Meanwhile, China has issued a Level-IV emergency alert over the risk of further flooding from a newly formed barrier lake in Tibet. The Ministry of Water Resources warned on Thursday that the lake, formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, could breach and send floodwaters into downstream areas.
Both rivers originate in Tibet and flow into Nepal, where they form part of the Bhotekoshi river system. China's natural-disaster emergency response system has four levels, with Level I representing the highest level of alert and Level IV the lowest.
with inpts from PTI