KATHMANDU: China has stepped up efforts to reopen the road connecting the Kerung border point after devastating floods damaged a major highway in the Tibet region.
A large number of rescue teams, engineers and heavy equipment have been deployed to restore the damaged section of China National Highway G216.
According to Chinese state media Xinhua, more than one kilometer of the damaged G216 section near Gyirong has already been reconstructed as of 10:50 am Tuesday. Less than one kilometer of road now remains to be restored to reconnect the route to the Kerung port.
Workers are removing debris and rebuilding sections washed away by the flood. Professional rescue teams from China Energy Engineering Corporation, deployed by China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, are working continuously on the restoration.
The reconstruction is being carried out in difficult terrain. The road runs between steep cliffs and a fast-flowing river. In some sections, the entire road base has been washed away, making access to the construction site difficult.
Water flow in some areas has reached 6-7 meters per second. Heavy machinery cannot be deployed at once in such conditions. Rescue teams are therefore carrying out the work in phases.
Large rocks measuring 1-2 meters in diameter are being used to rebuild the washed-away road base. Workers are first strengthening the roadside foundation with large rocks before filling it with soil to rebuild the road.
In areas with particularly strong water flow, machinery is being used inside the river to divert the current and create a safer working area.
More than 158 workers and 28 pieces of equipment are currently involved in the road restoration.
The rescue teams are also using advanced technology to monitor risks around the construction site. Laser-video AI monitoring systems, slope-monitoring radar and drones are being used around the clock to detect even minor changes in nearby hills and rock formations.
The immediate priority is to restore the road all the way to the Kerung border point.
The regional government has reported that at least 16 people have died and 546 remain missing in the Kerung area following the devastating floods and landslides triggered after a glacial lake-related incident in the high Himalayan region on the Nepal side.
