China Releases 3D Images of Gyirong Mudslide After Nepal Glacier Collapse Sent Debris 20 Kilometers
Updated
Updated · CGTN · Aug 28
China Releases 3D Images of Gyirong Mudslide After Nepal Glacier Collapse Sent Debris 20 Kilometers
3 articles · Updated · CGTN · Aug 28
Summary
3D imagery released by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources shows buildings, roads and bridges around Gyirong Port visible before the disaster were no longer identifiable afterward.
Experts said the mudslide began with a glacier collapse in Nepal’s upper Cuoqian River at about 5,140 meters, then turned into a debris flow that entered boundary rivers and struck Gyirong Port in China.
Nearly 20 kilometers in about 7 minutes, the debris flow averaged roughly 50 meters per second, driven by an elevation drop of about 3,300 meters; imagery also showed part of the flow ran nearly 3 kilometers upstream.
G216 highway damage, washed-out valley roads, steep gullies and thick mud have hampered rescue work, while debris carried far downstream has made victims and infrastructure harder to locate.
Multiple teams are still using drones and detection equipment, while geological and engineering specialists assess secondary hazards around the China-Nepal border disaster zone.