China Steps Up Efforts to Reopen G216 Highway to Kerung Port, Deploys 110 Rescuers and 28 Sets of Equipment
Dragon Media Correspondent
China has intensified round-the-clock efforts to reopen damaged sections of the G216 national highway leading to Kerung Port in the Xizang Autonomous Region after the route was severely affected by mudslides and flood debris.
On August 30, China Anneng Construction Group deployed 110 rescue personnel along with 28 sets of equipment, including excavators, loaders and monitoring systems, to accelerate clearance and repair work on the damaged highway.
The operation is aimed at restoring the main land route to Kerung Port as quickly as possible so that rescue teams, emergency equipment, relief supplies and other essential materials can move into the disaster-affected area more efficiently.
By 5 p.m. on Sunday, the road restoration team had advanced 285 meters in a single day and removed approximately 48,220 cubic meters of mud, rocks and debris from the damaged section.
The team also transported 1,060 cubic meters of stone and construction materials using 53 truckloads to reinforce and fill sections of the road requiring repair.
The G216 highway, a key access route to Kerung Port, was seriously damaged by the recent destructive mudslide, disrupting the movement of large vehicles and rescue equipment.
Chinese authorities have therefore made restoration of the highway one of the main priorities of the ongoing search, rescue and emergency response operation.
Heavy machinery is being used to remove thick layers of mud, large boulders and landslide debris while crews work to stabilize damaged road sections and restore temporary access.
Technical monitoring teams have also been deployed alongside road crews to watch for possible secondary landslides and other geological hazards that could threaten frontline workers.
The powerful mudslide, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche on the Nepal side of the Himalayas, caused extensive damage in the Kerung border region.
Chinese authorities are simultaneously carrying out search and rescue operations, restoring roads, repairing electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, and monitoring the possibility of further disasters.
Kerung Port is an important land gateway for trade and movement between China and Nepal. The early restoration of the G216 highway is therefore expected to play a significant role not only in ongoing rescue operations, but also in gradually restoring cross-border transportation and the movement of essential supplies.
