Xizang steps up geological hazard monitoring after deadly debris flow

The Ministry of Natural Resources has fully launched risk and hazard investigations in the disaster-affected area in the Xizang autonomous region, identifying more than 60 potential geological hazard sites, eight of which have been classified as high risk, the ministry said on Sunday.

The investigation follows a major debris flow triggered by an ice avalanche in Gyirong county on Aug 26.

Since the disaster, the ministry has mobilized technical personnel from across the natural resources system, deploying four working groups equipped with drones, rangefinders and other survey instruments. The teams have focused on the ice avalanche source area, the barrier lake, debris flow channels and surrounding watersheds, conducting emergency surveying and mapping, as well as risk assessments, across the disaster-affected zone.

The ministry has also intensified geological hazard patrols along emergency rescue routes, in nearby villages and at resettlement sites. It recommended combining drone aerial surveys with manual patrols to monitor risks during search and rescue operations.

In addition, the ministry has organized more than 1,070 people, including technical professionals, grassroots officials and community-based monitoring volunteers, to expand investigations to more than 900 geological hazard sites across the broader area.

On Sunday, the ministry convened a meeting to redeploy rescue and risk response efforts. The meeting heard opinions from academicians and experts and set out requirements for front-line risk management.

It emphasized the importance of monitoring risks in the debris flow source area along the Cuojian River, a tributary where the ice collapse originated. It called for manual observation posts, integrated radar and video monitoring equipment, and microseismic sensors to be deployed on the opposite bank, working together to enable rapid early warning.

Continuous risk assessment and monitoring were also required for potential collapses and landslides caused by channel scraping as the debris flow moved downstream.

The meeting also recommended that the front-line command establish emergency shelters for rescue teams and designate emergency evacuation routes to ensure the safety of all personnel involved in rescue operations.