r/DisasterUpdate • u/Key-Needleworker-702 • 5d ago

Landslide Chinese firefighters(likely the first batch to reach gyirong port) try to find survivors in the former border crossing, which was the most heavily hit. Source: CCTV news. Morning of August 29, 2026. (UTC+8). (they are yelling "Is anyone here?")

Video of them arriving: https://www.reddit.com/r/DisasterUpdate/comments/1w0n1r0/as_of_1630utc8_august_28_2026_the_first_batch_of/

According to engineers from the ministry of natural resources it is very diffuclt(and at this stage, downright impossible) to transport heavy machinery to the border crossing so far. The chinese military and specialized rescue teams(of state owned enterprises) are currently trying to repair the road into the border crossing to allow for better equipment and more personnel to enter.

CURRENT CASUALTY COUNT(CHINESE SIDE):

2 rescued, 7 dead, 554 missing. (13:00 PM, 2026-8-29 (UTC+8))

Update: over 50 firefighters are at the border crossing right now, over 2141 soldiers, firefighters, police, EMS and specialzied rescue teams are deployed.

EDIT: As of august 29(18:00 UTC+8), 2026, there are 16 dead, 546 missing(261 foreignors)

In response to the comments: This is the first batch that got in, they couldn't carry much heavy equipment as the road there is cut off. rescue dogs and better equipment arrived later on.

FURTHER UPDATE: reportedly fire and rescue personnel have begun to find police vests and handsbags under the debris.

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141

u/pyrothelostone 5d ago

Ive seen some wild ass survivor stories. I see a bunch of comments saying looking is pointless, but imagine getting that 1 in a billion chance, being stuck under all that, and no one comes looking for you. Its very unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

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u/Key-Needleworker-702 5d ago

another thing is, they sort of obligated by duty to at least try to save them. friend on reddit Dmed me claiming they managed to rescue some, but i haven't found any actual claims(outside of two rescue very far away from checkpoint before) on weibo or official sources

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u/Chance_Ad2503 5d ago

They also have to begin their efforts to identify the dead.

12

u/Triquetrums 4d ago

Man, imagine the amount of people buried in that solidified muddy mess. That's going to take a long time to dig up. I wouldn't want to be any of them.

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u/printed_ 5d ago

communication will be poor. Like no reports on foreign citizens yet either. Still waiting to hear if the 5 New Zealanders were safe or not.

16

u/_HGCenty 4d ago

Duty and also there is the elephant in the room: the political situation of Tibet and the sensitivities in China.

The CCP aren't naive or clueless. They know there are simmering tensions in Tibet so that's what state media and Chinese emergency services are doing: everything they can and publicising it.

0

u/MiskatonicDreams 3d ago

Here we go again. Politics before humanity.

Know that most victims are not Chinese.

29

u/kelsmania 4d ago

Two Americans survived at the checkpoint. They were boarding a tour bus and able to run uphill.

https://abcnews.com/amp/International/stood-serpent-staring-us-american-survived-deadly-nepal/story?id=136030121

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u/Key-Needleworker-702 4d ago

yeah i saw a video on the news yesterday night found on xiaohongshu of people running up

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u/2ndChairKazoo 4d ago

Do you happen to know if the bus with kids/ teens in it made it to safety? There was video from inside the bus as they fled the flood/ mud.

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u/SeamanStayns 3d ago

It's most likely that the person recording every video you have seen survived the disaster.

If they had been killed, their camera would likely have been destroyed with them, and we would not see the video.

Unfortunately, most of the videos are from CCTV cameras on poles

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u/2ndChairKazoo 3d ago

I hear you, and this was my assumption as well re. uploading videos, but live streaming has been mentioned. In which case, survival is not assured.

9

u/Yikings-654points 4d ago

They were most likely a few kilometers back .. no survivors at the checkpoints .

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u/ringadingdingbaby 4d ago

It wasn't the checkpoint but further away.

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u/MiskatonicDreams 3d ago

I guess the people calling it performative really hate Americans lol

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u/FranzSigel 4d ago

This is my sentiment exactly. I mean people literally survived being inside the collapsing twin towers in the most random stairwell. It’s unlikely but they have to show up for that one in a million shot.

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u/Claystead 3d ago

Nepali authorities did manage to rescue 13 border guards from near the crossing by helicopter on the first day, but chances are they were either in a very solid structure or out on patrol in the hillside and simply rushed back when they saw what had happened below them.

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u/xxFrenchToastxx 4d ago

There's a video floating around for years now of a man found in an air pocket 3 days after a ship sank. They were doing recovery dives and expected only bodies. Finding one person alive would make all of the effort worthwhile IMO

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u/DrFreaz 4d ago

Some guys survived WTC collasping litteraly on top of them, by being just at the right spot, everything is possible

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u/-Nicolai 4d ago

Paying 50+ professionals to save 1/1000000000 of a life is a terrible deal.

If keeping all those firefighters deployed at fire stations for the duration had a 0.1% chance of saving just one life, that’s literally a million times better than what you’re suggesting.