The president of China, Xi Jinping, has ordered this Wednesday to mobilize "all means and resources" necessary to locate the missing persons after the intense floods recorded in the border area between Nepal and the autonomous region of Tibet, referred to in China as Xizang.
The Chinese leader has demanded the immediate evacuation of all inhabitants who may be in danger, with special attention to the Gyirong border crossing, and has insisted that urgent assistance be provided to the injured and affected to minimize the number of victims, after Nepalese authorities have so far raised the death toll to 22 in their territory.
The floods have originated from a landslide recorded around 10:30 a.m. (local time) in northern Nepal, which has caused the overflow of the Bhotekoshi River at the height of Rasuwa district.
Xi has also emphasized the importance of strengthening surveillance and early warning systems, ensuring that rescue operations are conducted with scientific rigor and preventing the occurrence of secondary disasters, according to information released by the Xinhua news agency.
In this regard, the president has urged local authorities and relevant departments to "prepare for the worst possible scenarios and extreme situations, fully implement flood and typhoon prevention measures, and intensify efforts to identify and address potential risks and dangers."
For his part, the Chinese prime minister, Li Qiang, has instructed that the actual number of missing and affected persons be checked immediately, after Nepalese authorities indicated that nearly 400 tourists, almost 300 of them foreigners, are unaccounted for while trying to travel from Nepalese territory to Mount Kailash, a sacred Tibetan mountain located in the Himalayas.
Li has also ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to "strengthen communication and coordination with relevant countries, share information promptly, and collaborate with them to properly manage rescue efforts" as much as possible.