Families and diplomats grow frustrated as China searches its flood-hit border with Nepal, with 43 dead and hundreds still missing.5 min readSep 7, 2026 08:47 AM IST First published on: Sep 7, 2026 at 08:44 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookRescue workers conduct search and rescue operations at the core disaster-hit area at Gyirong Port amid rescue efforts following the August 26 mudslide, during an organized media tour in Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. (Photo: AP)For families still waiting on news of loved ones, each day brings less hope and more questions. Diplomats and relatives of the missing are growing frustrated with China over the lack of updates, as rescue teams keep digging through the ruins of a border crossing wiped out by a mudslide, Reuters reports. Workers found 12 more bodies on Sunday, taking the confirmed death toll on the Chinese side to 43, with 519 people still missing.Workers in orange uniforms used diggers, shovels and ground radar on Sunday to search the buried site of the Gyirong crossing, once the main gateway between China and Nepal.‘Danger area, pass quickly’The crossing has come to stand for the scale of the damage since a glacier broke apart on the Nepal side of the border on 26 August. Reuters reports that videos showed a wall of water, mud and debris sweep over the site with little warning.Rescue workers conduct search-and-rescue operations at the core disaster-hit area at Gyirong Port following the August 26 mudslide, during an organized media tour in Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. (Photo: AP)The flood has killed more than 1,300 people on both sides of the border, with over 5,000 still missing. On the Chinese side, Reuters reports 43 people are confirmed dead and 519 remain missing, as of Saturday. Among them are 261 people from 23 other countries.The five-storey Chinese customs building that once stood at the border is gone. Only part of a nearby water tower still stands, in a field of grey and black mud. Workers have put up a Chinese flag where a 20-metre border gate used to be. Nearby signs read: “Danger area, pass quickly.”Story continues below this adFingerprints and tattoos used to identify the deadOfficials told reporters that recovery teams are taking fingerprints and noting features such as tattoos to help identify bodies as they are found. They have also collected 993 personal items from the site, according to the news agency.A member of the national emergency rescue team uses a monitoring instrument to monitor the rock on a mountain for further risk, at the core disaster-hit area at Gyirong Port amid rescue efforts following the August 26 mudslide, during an organized media tour in Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. (Photo: AP)‘We are frustrated’Families and diplomats from countries with missing citizens have told Reuters, in private, that they are unhappy with how little China has shared. Representatives from four governments said Beijing has not explained how it will use DNA testing to identify victims. Diplomats also said China has not said whether footage from the crossing, including facial recognition video, could be shared with families or used to help identify the dead.Also read Hospital in Nepal heals flood injured with a helping hand — from Express readersChina’s foreign ministry has said its handling of information about the floods has been open and quick, and that it is willing to work with other countries and agencies.A route used by traders and pilgrimsGyirong was once a small trading town. It became the main crossing between Nepal and Tibet after an earthquake in 2015 damaged another route further east, Reuters reports. Officials said China will think about whether to rebuild the crossing differently after the disaster.Story continues below this adThe crossing had already been shut between July last year and January this year, after an earlier flood caused by a glacier. As well as handling Chinese exports, including electric cars, it had also become a stop for Hindu pilgrims travelling through Nepal to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a mountain seen as sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists.Most Read1‘Load off my shoulders’: US sailors chase ‘simple stuff’ in Thailand’s Pattaya after 286 days at sea2‘Shameful, nasty’: Singapore minister slams racist comments on Indians, police step in3Trump’s H-1B visa double whammy: Why Indians could feel the heat4Days after ‘don’t wear wig’ claim, Trump’s hair colour has X talking again5Her family was performing her last rites. Then, rescuers heard a faint voice in mud6World News Updates: Iran warns of ‘faster, more painful’ response to attacksRescue workers conduct search and rescue operations, near a Chinese national flag, at the core disaster-hit area at Gyirong Port amid rescue efforts following the August 26 mudslide, during an organised media tour in Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, Sunday. (Photo: AP)Diplomats in Beijing say many of the foreign nationals still missing were pilgrims, with families in India. There are 49 Indian citizens among the missing, Reuters reports.Also read A 2-second buffalo delay saved his life, but took his brother: Why Nepal flood survivor cut short grief to help othersChina has rejected any claim that it could have given more warning before the glacier broke apart in Nepal. Chinese scientists have found more than 3,000 glacial lakes, of which 187 are marked high risk and are watched using sensors or checks on the ground, officials said.Norbu Tsering, deputy head of the emergency rescue headquarters, told reporters: “This disaster occurred on the Nepalese side of the border, further international cooperation is required to enhance monitoring and early-warning capabilities.”AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogWorld News Today Live Updates: Trump publishes posts berating Iran’s economy, showing attack on Kharg Island12 minutes agoBigg Boss 20 Contestants, Premiere Episode LIVE Updates: Mahhi Vij, Manoj Tiwari’s daughter Rhiti, Mary Kom, Isha Rikhi, Amrapali Dubey join Salman Khan’s show15 minutes agoDelhi Building Collapse Live News: Police book owner, 5 dead; rescue operation underway3 hours agoBigg Boss Tamil Season 10 highlights: Vijay Sethupathi signs off after introducing all 19 contestants; Ansar, Mukesh, Dhanya Pallath enter the show9 hours agoHanuman Ansh box office collection day 30 highlights: Neem Karoli Baba film powers past Rs 100 crore mark9 hours agoAdvertisement