The enormous wall of water and mud that engulfed Gyirong Port on the Tibet-Nepal border must have produced a terrifying sound. But a video showing a Chinese border police officer guiding civilians to safety shortly before a devastating mudslide hit the land port has attracted widespread attention online, with many people calling him a "hero" for remaining behind to help others evacuate.
The officer was later identified as Huang Peng, a Chinese immigration police officer posted at Gyirong Port in southwest China's Xizang region, part of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times identified Huang in a video released on Friday, reporting that he continued directing evacuations even as the mudslide approached the port.
Gyirong Port is used by pilgrims travelling to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake. At least 80 Indians remain unaccounted for after floodwaters swept through the port building. The missing group includes 77 pilgrims returning from the Kailash pilgrimage and three staff members of Sadhguru's Isha Foundation.
The Global Times video said Huang "stood his ground to direct evacuations" before the mudslide struck Gyirong Port. The report added that he was still missing.
The footage was subsequently circulated by journalists and commentators on X, prompting widespread praise for Huang's actions during the disaster.
WHO WAS HUANG PENG, THE CHINESE OFFICER HAILED AS A HERO?
Shen Shiwei, a journalist and commentator covering Chinese politics and economics, said on X that a Chinese border police officer at Gyirong Port had been seen directing civilians towards safer areas "until his very last breath".
In a later post, Shen identified the officer as Huang Peng and said he was born in 1991 and had served at Gyirong Port for 13 years.
"RIP. Now we know the hero's name is Huang Peng," Shen wrote.
Li Jingjing, a journalist and political commentator with China Global Television Network, also identified the officer as Huang in posts on X. She said he was from Chongqing and was born in November 1991.
"We now know the name of this police officer, who, even facing such a scary disaster, insisted on helping others to evacuate till last minute," Li said.
In an earlier post, Li had shared surveillance footage from Gyirong Port and praised Huang's actions. "Even at the last minute of his life, this border police officer stayed, trying to help other citizens to evacuate," she wrote.
The footage emerged as China and Nepal continued dealing with the aftermath of massive landslides and flash floods along their border, which have caused extensive destruction, killed hundreds and left thousands missing.
Search-and-rescue operations have been underway since Wednesday, when the disaster struck.
The continuing threat of additional flooding has also complicated rescue efforts. A lake created by rising water along the border briefly overflowed early Friday, prompting Chinese authorities to halt rescue operations, according to the BBC.
INDIAN KAILASH MANSAROVAR PILGRIMS WERE AT GYIRONG PORT
Gyirong Port served as an important transit point for Indians travelling on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Eighty Indians are still unaccounted for following the flash flood, including 77 pilgrims returning from the pilgrimage and three Isha Foundation employees.
The pilgrims were inside an immigration centre at Gyirong when the flood struck on Wednesday. According to Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the group had stopped there while making its way back from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage when floodwaters suddenly surged through the building.
Sadhguru later appealed to Chinese authorities to permit him and a small group of volunteers to travel to Gyirong to help search for the missing pilgrims. He said the families of those still unaccounted for wanted to participate in the search and find any clues that could help locate their loved ones.
In an emotional video posted on X, Sadhguru said he was writing in "absolute pain" over the loss of members of his group and that no further information had emerged since the floods.
NEPAL WORKS TO RECOVER AND IDENTIFY FLOOD VICTIMS
The cause of the disaster has now become clearer. Early reports of an earthquake had sparked speculation that a tremor had triggered the landslide and subsequent flooding. However, the US Geological Survey (USGS) concluded that the disaster was caused by a glacial collapse, involving the disintegration of a glacier or part of one.
According to USGS data cited by the BBC, the impact of the collapsing glacier hitting the valley floor was powerful enough to register as a magnitude 5.2 event. The debris flow that followed caused devastating destruction downstream.
On the Nepalese side, floodwaters carried bodies and debris far downstream, creating another major challenge for authorities. Bodies have been recovered from several districts along the Trishuli and Narayani river systems, while some morgues have reached or exceeded their capacity.
With the final death toll from the Bhotekoshi floods still uncertain, Nepal Police has created a QR-linked database containing details of recovered bodies, including unidentified remains. The system allows families to compare photographs and physical descriptions with those of relatives who remain missing.
The flash floods have claimed around 600 lives so far, while the Ministry of External Affairs said 320 Indians and 100 people of Indian origin remained out of contact.
The footage from Gyirong Port has brought a deeply human element to the unfolding disaster on the Chinese side. It shows Huang directing civilians away from danger even as the approaching mudslide threatens to engulf the area.
His actions have since drawn widespread praise online, with users and commentators describing him as a hero for continuing to help civilians evacuate despite the rapidly approaching disaster.
