GYIRONG, China — A rock-strewn crevasse is all that remains of once-bustling Gyirong Port, after a massive torrent of water obliterated the border checkpoint on Aug. 26 — the first site hit by a catastrophic landslide and glacial outburst flood that then surged into Nepal.
The deluge tore through buildings, customs facilities and roads at the busy Himalayan trade crossing between China’s Tibet region and Nepal, leaving behind only jagged boulders and twisted debris. Chinese officials said the flood was triggered by a landslide that dammed and then violently released water upstream.
The disaster underscores the growing vulnerability of mountain communities along the Himalayas, where glacial lakes and unstable slopes have long posed risks. Gyirong Port, reopened in recent years as part of expanded China-Nepal trade, had become a critical artery for goods and travelers between the two countries.
Nepalese authorities reported damage and casualties downstream as the floodwaters crossed the border, though full assessments were still underway. Scientists have repeatedly warned that climate-driven glacial melt is increasing the frequency of such outburst floods in the region.
