Inside Gyirong Port: The Search for Hundreds Missing After Devastating Floods and Landslides

Rescue personnel continue to conduct search and rescue operations in the core zone at Gyirong Port in Xizang Autonomous Region of China, following the disaster on August 26, 2026. A rock-strewn crevasse is now all that remains of what used to be Gyirong Port, a high-altitude hub completely washed from existence.

Emergency workers continue to search the moonscape of stones, gravel, and sludge, as witnessed by a CNN team that gained access to the site on Sunday as part of a government-organized visit. Reporters were given hard hats and boots to contend with the still-unstable mud-caked ground and the ever-present risk of further landslides.

This border crossing was once a bustling nexus for tourists and traders moving between China and Nepal. Hundreds of people would typically pass through each day going to or from Nepal’s Rasuwa port, just across the river. All that changed when the port was engulfed by an enormous wave of water.

No survivors have been found at the port, which has become a focal point for families desperate for any information about loved ones. The hulking, five-story border checkpoint facility has been obliterated, leaving only the vestiges of its foundations. Travel agencies, a supermarket, and a bridge connecting China and Nepal have all been flattened.

As of China’s latest update, there were 31 people confirmed dead and 531 missing on its side of the border, with more than 250 foreigners among the missing. Chinese authorities have yet to publicly release a list of names of those who were at the port at the time, prompting questions about transparency.

According to authorities in both countries, more than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead and thousands remain missing after the catastrophe. The remote region and difficult terrain have significantly slowed rescue and recovery efforts, which have also been hindered by the risk of secondary disasters and unstable barrier lakes.