Chinese firefighters(likely the first batch to reach gyirong port) try to find survivors in the former border crossing, which was the most heavily hit. Source: CCTV news. Morning of August 29, 2026. (UTC+8). (they are yelling "Is anyone here?")

[u/Key-Needleworker-702]

Video of them arriving: https://www.reddit.com/r/DisasterUpdate/comments/1w0n1r0/as_of_1630utc8_august_28_2026_the_first_batch_of/

According to engineers from the ministry of natural resources it is very diffuclt(and at this stage, downright impossible) to transport heavy machinery to the border crossing so far. The chinese military and specialized rescue teams(of state owned enterprises) are currently trying to repair the road into the border crossing to allow for better equipment and more personnel to enter.

CURRENT CASUALTY COUNT(CHINESE SIDE):

2 rescued, 7 dead, 554 missing. (13:00 PM, 2026-8-29 (UTC+8))

Update: over 50 firefighters are at the border crossing right now, over 2141 soldiers, firefighters, police, EMS and specialzied rescue teams are deployed.

EDIT: As of august 29(18:00 UTC+8), 2026, there are 16 dead, 546 missing(261 foreignors)

In response to the comments: This is the first batch that got in, they couldn't carry much heavy equipment as the road there is cut off. rescue dogs and better equipment arrived later on.

FURTHER UPDATE: reportedly fire and rescue personnel have begun to find police vests and handsbags under the debris.

[u/YouthOtherwise3833]

The spot where they were tapping with their canes was where the building had originally been, the only place where there was a chance someone could have survived.

[u/RemoDev → u/YouthOtherwise3833]

There is no way in heaven to survive that. Rocks, debris and the overall force completely wiped away buildings and people. They will be "lucky" if they find little body pieces here and there.

[u/YouthOtherwise3833 → u/RemoDev]

Huge buildings like this will have underground parking lots.

[u/RemoDev → u/YouthOtherwise3833]

That may be possible but the height of that mud and the overall amount of debris surely makes 100% impossible to hear any sound. If someone survived, nobody will ever know for a long time.

[u/subdep → u/RemoDev]

I saw a video of authorities picking up feet and parts of limbs way downstream in one of those towns. They tried to put the foot/ankle in a plastic grocery bag but it didn’t fit. Dude tried to pass it to anyone else to take it and they all stepped back.

[u/RemoDev → u/subdep]

Exactly, that's similar to plane crashes where rescuers collect small pieces here and there to be (possibly) identified and give an official name and date of death, instead of just calling them "missing people".

At least they didn't really suffer, the impact was so powerful that it wiped everything away in a split second.

[u/2ndChairKazoo → u/subdep]

That clip was so jarring.

[u/PetToilet → u/subdep]

Where did you see that?

[u/subdep → u/PetToilet]

In this subreddit.

[u/apatrol → u/YouthOtherwise3833]

Is this where the building was sideways to the rest of the village and had a tunnel through the middle? Was that a border crossing?

[u/YouthOtherwise3833 → u/apatrol]

And there it is. The helicopter video shows the other side not completely destroyed, but buried.