Chinese scientific team departs for Nepal to study glacier disaster and support Gyirong port reconstruction
A 50-strong Chinese scientific team departed Chengdu for Nepal on 4 Oct 2026 to investigate a cross-border glacier collapse that caused a mudslide on 26 Aug 2026. The mission aims to reconstruct the full disaster chain and provide data for the reconstruction of the Gyirong port in Tibet.
A national extreme geological disaster emergency cross-border scientific expedition team departed from Chengdu for Nepal today, 4 Oct 2026, to conduct a joint scientific survey on cryosphere and lithosphere mega-disasters. The team comprises more than 50 researchers from over ten universities and research institutes.
According to CCTV News, on 26 Aug 2026, a glacier suddenly collapsed in Nepal's northern border region, triggering a cross-border mudslide that caused significant casualties. The disaster's source area lies within Nepal, while the destructive process unfolded across national boundaries, with the Gyirong port in Tibet being one of the main affected areas. Because a single-country survey cannot fully reconstruct the disaster's complete picture, tracing the event to its source in Nepal has become a critical step in restoring the full disaster chain.
The scientific survey will employ a combination of technical methods including unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry, helicopter reconnaissance, and field geological logging and sampling. The team aims to clarify the full process of the chain transformation from ice-rock avalanche to debris flow, mudslide, debris flood, and hyperconcentrated flow, and to quantify the patterns of erosion, transport, and deposition along the path. This will provide a solid scientific basis for the complete analysis of the disaster chain and for the restoration and reconstruction of the Gyirong port.