Aerial footage shows port near Tibet before and after Nepal flash floods | World News - Hindustan Times

**Aerial footage reveals dramatic changes at a Himalayan port after Nepal’s flash floods**

Satellite and drone imagery released by regional news outlets show the Gyirong port, a key trade gateway on the China‑Tibet border, in a drastically altered state following the unprecedented flash floods that struck Nepal in early August. Prior to the deluge, the port’s river‑bank facilities and access roads were clearly visible, supporting a steady flow of goods and tourists between the two neighboring countries. Within days of the disaster, the same aerial perspective captured the river’s swollen channel engulfing the approach routes, with debris and landslide material covering the once‑busy docking area.

In response to the worsening conditions, Chinese authorities temporarily halted rescue and recovery operations along the border, citing the heightened risk of a secondary flood triggered by ongoing heavy rains. The decision, reported by the BBC, was taken to protect rescue personnel and prevent further casualties. Simultaneously, more than 1,000 residents and visitors in the Xizang (Tibet) autonomous region were evacuated as a precaution, according to Rediff and the Global Times. The evacuation effort involved coordinated deployment of the People’s Liberation Army, border police, and local emergency teams, which also mobilized specialized mud‑slide response units to stabilize the terrain around Gyirong.

Despite the suspension of cross‑border assistance, relief agencies on both sides of the frontier are working to address the humanitarian fallout. Chinese provincial officials have dispatched additional supplies and medical teams to the affected villages, while Nepali authorities continue to assess damage along the downstream stretch of the Koshi River. The incident underscores the vulnerability of high‑altitude trade routes to extreme weather events and raises questions about future infrastructure resilience and bilateral disaster‑response protocols in the Himalayas.