September 1, Kathmandu.
Chinese media outlets have reported that efforts are ongoing to clear landslides and mudflows to reopen the main highway leading to the flood and landslide-affected Kerung port in the Tibet Autonomous Region of southwestern China.
The regional government has stated that at least 16 people have died and 546 are still missing in the Kerung area due to devastating floods and landslides caused by the collapse of a glacier in the high Himalayan region towards Nepal.
National Highway G-216, which leads to the port, has been damaged in several places due to the floods and landslides.
In Xinjiang Village of Kerung County, more than 100 workers from China Railway Group Limited are actively working to prepare gabion boxes by filling them with stones.
Liu Mingyuan, commander of the Tibet Engineering Headquarters under China Railway Construction Engineering Group, said, ‘According to the integrated directives of the on-site disaster rescue and relief headquarters, the main tasks in this phase include ensuring the supply of relief materials, preparing steel-reinforced gabion boxes, as well as carrying out basic supporting work such as stone excavation and raw material storage.’
Once the gabion boxes are ready, they will be transported to the disaster-affected areas. In some complex sections of the road, steel-reinforced gabion boxes and large stones will be placed in the rapidly flowing river to create a stronger foundation for the road structure.
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During the clearing and reconstruction of the damaged G-216 highway, rescue workers from the state-owned China Aneng Construction Group used emergency rescue and safe evacuation routes, such as rope ladders, at the site for the first time on Monday.
This arrangement, along with several hazard shelters, has further strengthened the safety of rescue workers from sudden floods, landslides, and other emergency situations.
By around 11 AM on Monday, rescue workers had installed three rope ladders, with a total length of approximately 180 meters.
If the water level suddenly rises or other hazards like landslides occur, rescue workers can quickly reach safe shelters via the pre-arranged rope ladders to ensure their safety.
China Aneng has deployed 158 emergency rescue workers and 28 pieces of equipment, including excavators and loaders, for highway repair. They are working through a continuous rescue and reconstruction campaign, operating in shifts.
According to rescue workers from China Aneng Group, by Monday afternoon, 1.1 kilometers of the G-216 highway from the port had been reopened. (CCTV+) Agency
For More: Reopen Highway To Kerung
