Beijing, August 29: On the morning of August 26, a devastating landslide originating from Nepal struck the Chillong port in the Shikaje district of Chitong Tsang. The incident occurred around 10:30 AM and resulted in significant destruction, with numerous fatalities and many individuals reported missing.
What caused this landslide, and why was its force so immense? The Chillong port is located at the confluence of the Chillong Tsangpo and Tonglin Tsangpo rivers, characterized by steep topography. Experts suggest that this disaster was part of a series of natural calamities that crossed the border. The source was a glacier situated approximately 5,140 meters above sea level in the upper reaches of the Thsuochyen River in Nepal.
The glacier’s collapse covered an area of about 620,000 square meters. Following its complete disintegration, a massive amount of debris rapidly flowed down into the valley. This debris eventually merged with the Kuopa Shyakyu River, which flows along the China-Nepal border, and then transformed into a fast-moving landslide as it continued westward into the Tonglin Tsangpo River. The impact reached the Chillong port and surrounding low-lying areas, causing extensive damage.
The destructive power of this landslide was primarily due to the significant elevation difference in the area and the rapid speed of the debris. Over a distance of approximately 20 kilometers, there was an elevation difference of nearly 3,300 meters. The landslide took only about seven minutes to travel from the glacier’s collapse to the Chillong port. During this time, its average speed was around 50 meters per second. This rapid pace left little time for residents to react and seek safety, contributing to the severity of the disaster’s scale, impact, and the resulting loss of life.
(Source: China Media Group, Beijing)
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