On August 26, a sudden, high-altitude chain-reaction mudslide, cascading down from the Nepalese side, tore through the Gyirong Port at the southern foot of the Himalayas. Boulders and mud not only consumed lives and homes but also completely severed the National Highway G216, which is the "jugular" link to the port.

The road served as the vital artery for rescue efforts. A campaign to race against time and defy the odds was comprehensively launched amid the wreckage of National Highway G216.

Meter by meter, at around 10 a.m. on September 2, the lifeline to Gyirong Port was fully reopened.

A Ray of Hope: Carving a Path Through a "Forbidden Zone"

The disaster had knocked out roads, electricity, and communications. Silt and debris accumulation generally exceeded 1.5 meters in depth. What was once a smooth national highway was now buried under a thick mix of giant boulders, sand, and clay. Steel guardrails were twisted and snapped, roadbeds were hollowed out, and virtually no trace of the original road remained.

In such extreme conditions, heavy machinery would easily sink into the soft ground, and conventional construction methods repeatedly failed. Yet the rescue teams did not retreat. On the final stretch of road, less than one kilometer from Gyirong Port, forces including China Anneng Engineering Group adopted a round-the-clock rotation system, "rest for the crew, but never for the machines." Two shifts took over directly on-site, working through the night. Illuminated by drone-mounted searchlights, repair equipment inched forward across boulder-strewn wasteland, extending the lifeline meter by painful meter.

A Hard-Fought Breakthrough: A Deadly Struggle Against Torrents and Gullies

Restoring access to National Highway G216 was a brutal battle. Journalists who walked into the site saw that the work area lay in a steep valley, flanked by precipitous rock faces and sheer cliffs on one side and raging rapids and deep channels on the other.

To tackle the complex gullies and surging waters, rescue teams adapted their approach on the fly, using relay excavation and water-entry filling techniques. On the boulder-covered shoals, large quarried stones were precisely dumped into the water to block the torrent. After that, crushed rock and soil were quickly backfilled, and excavators used their heavy buckets to compact and reinforce the fill. At the most turbulent sections, crews sent machinery directly into the water to force a path forward, deployed gabion baskets to stabilize the foundation, and extended the repaired road segment by segment, from point to point.

By August 31, the final sprint was underway, with just 1.1 kilometers remaining to Gyirong Port. China AnnengGroup deployed 158 rescue personnel and 28 units of equipment, including excavators and loaders, for a concentrated assault to the core disaster area.

By noon on September 1, the frontline of the G216 reopening effort was less than 1 kilometer from the core disaster area. Everyone knew that this artery, torn apart by the mudslide, was being reconnected.

Charging Into Danger: A Dimensional Battle to Secure the Lifeline

While the front line fought to reopen the road, the rear echelon worked just as hard to support the assault. With persistent rainfall and complex geological conditions, the risks of barrier lakes and secondary disasters loomed large. Monitoring teams conducted continuous, 24-hour surveillance of the barrier lake dam and landslide bodies.

Meteorological departments provided rolling weather forecasts to deliver precise support for on-site rescue operations. Multiple helicopters and heavy-duty drones shuttled through the canyon, airdropping food, medicine, rescue equipment, and other supplies directly into the core area, ensuring an uninterrupted logistical lifeline for the frontline reopening and search efforts.

Along the road repair zone, three "rope-ladder emergency escape routes" were installed, totaling about 180 meters in length, to provide added safety for rescue workers in the event of flash floods, debris flows, or other sudden dangers.

Along the road repair zone, three "rope-ladder emergency escape routes" were installed, totaling about 180 meters in length, to provide added safety for rescue workers in the event of flash floods, debris flows, or other sudden dangers.

Along the road repair zone, three "rope-ladder emergency escape routes" were installed, totaling about 180 meters in length, to provide added safety for rescue workers in the event of flash floods, debris flows, or other sudden dangers.

When the final meter of G216 was filled and leveled, when rescue vehicles roared into the heart of Gyirong Port, this road, which reborn from the mudslide, had done more than open a physical channel for disaster relief. It had raised the unyielding spine of this snow-covered frontier.

Reporters: Liu Qianru, Li Chengye, Tsekyi, Sonam Dola, Ngodrup Tsering, Lhapa Drolma, Quan Wenjuan

Translator: Tenzin Seldron

First Review: Zhi Xinghua

Second Review: Drakpa Wangchen

Third Review: Hu Rongguo