Archive · 7 Sep 2026
China Recovers Bodies as Mudslide Destroys Nepal Border Crossing
A glacier collapsed in Nepal and caused a giant wave of mud, water and debris.
The wave swept over a busy border crossing between China and Nepal.
The crossing was buried, and its large customs building disappeared.
Rescue workers are digging through the mud with machines, shovels and special radar.
They recovered 12 more bodies and are still looking for hundreds of missing people.
Officials have reported different numbers of deaths and missing people on the Chinese side on different days.
Families and diplomats say China has not shared enough information about identifying victims.
China says its information has been shared openly and that it will cooperate with other countries.
Chinese rescue workers recovered 12 more bodies from the buried Gyirong border crossing on Sunday.
The mudslide followed a glacier collapse in Nepal on August 26 and killed more than 1,300 people across both sides of the border, with over 5,000 missing.
Chinese officials reported 43 deaths and 519 missing on Saturday, compared with 31 deaths and 531 missing on Friday.
Rescuers are using excavators, shovels and ground-penetrating radar across seven search zones, with four completed.
The crossing supported trade and Hindu pilgrimages to Mount Kailash, while China considers whether to rebuild it differently.
- Who
- Chinese rescue workers, missing residents, foreign nationals and families and diplomats seeking information about victims.
- What
- A glacier-related mudslide destroyed the Gyirong border crossing, prompting a large search and recovery operation.
- When
- The glacier collapse and mudslide occurred on August 26; rescue efforts and the recovery of 12 bodies were reported on Sunday, with Reuters visiting on September 6.
- Where
- The Gyirong border crossing in a narrow river gorge between China’s Tibet region and Nepal.
- Why
- Rescuers are searching for missing people and recovering bodies after the crossing was buried by the mudslide.
Families and Diplomats
Chinese Officials
Information sharing
Families and Diplomats
Families and diplomats representing countries with missing nationals said China had provided limited information and had not explained how DNA identification would proceed.
Chinese Officials
China’s foreign ministry said its flood-related information releases were transparent and timely and that it was ready to cooperate with other countries and agencies.
Border-crossing video
Families and Diplomats
Diplomats said China had not answered whether border-crossing video, including facial-recognition footage, could be shared with families or used to identify the dead.
Chinese Officials
The articles do not report a specific Chinese response on whether this footage would be released or used.
Early warning responsibility
Families and Diplomats
The disaster prompted questions about whether additional early-warning data could have been provided before the glacier collapse.
Chinese Officials
China rejected suggestions that it could have provided more warning data, saying the disaster occurred on Nepal’s side and that greater international cooperation is needed to improve monitoring and warnings.
- Disaster date
- August 26
- Overall reported toll
- More than 1,300 dead and more than 5,000 missing on both sides of the border
- Chinese figures, Friday
- 31 confirmed dead and 531 missing
- Chinese figures, Saturday
- 43 confirmed dead and 519 missing
- Foreign nationals missing
- 261 people from 23 countries, including 49 Indian citizens
- Search operation
- The site was divided into seven zones; four had been searched and three remained
- Identification efforts
- Workers collected 993 personal items and recorded fingerprints and identifying features such as tattoos
- Recovered bodies
- 12 additional bodies were recovered on Sunday
