A debris flow from the Nepal side of the Himalayas hit the Gyirong border port in Tibet's Shigatse on August 26, causing heavy casualties, and 
Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search for the missing. Surveillance footage circulating online showed people running as a torrent of mud and rock swept down the mountain within tens of seconds, destroying the port's joint inspection building and a nearby car park, the Liberty Times reported. A port management committee staff member said that afternoon that roads, communications and power in the area were cut and had not been restored.
How has Beijing responded? Xi ordered officials to search for the missing by every means, relocate threatened residents, treat the injured and guard against secondary disasters, CNA reported, citing Xinhua. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing rushed to the site with officials, and Premier Li Qiang went to Gyirong on August 27 on Xi's behalf to direct the rescue. On August 28 Xi chaired a Politburo meeting on the rescue, the Liberty Times reported, and sent Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel a message of condolence offering to help Nepal's rescue effort.
How many people were killed? A day after the disaster, at least 362 people were dead and more than 1,400 missing, the Liberty Times reported. Experts traced the flood to a glacier at 5,200 metres collapsing into a valley, an event so large it was first mistaken for an earthquake. Estimates had climbed to nearly 500 dead and more than 1,500 missing by August 28, when PTS reported that a team from Taiwan's Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation had reached the disaster area of Dhading with blankets and supplies. Bodies were proving difficult to store and the group hoped to help provide refrigerated space, deputy chief executive Lin Pi-yu said.
Who else has responded? The 
14th Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, said on August 27 that he was praying for all who lost their lives and offered condolences to their families. Past disasters in the region were a sign of deeper underlying causes, whether climate change or something else, the Dalai Lama said, urging follow-up measures to prevent a recurrence, CNA reported. Pope Leo XIV also offered prayers and condolences. Hong Kong Chief Executive 
John Lee Ka-chiu said on August 29 that his government had earmarked HK$50 million from its disaster relief fund for emergency relief, CNA reported, citing Ming Pao. Lee said the fund's advisory committee would process grant applications quickly.
Figures referenced: Xi Jinping, 14th Dalai Lama, John Lee Ka-chiu. — JudgeMarket.
