A devastating mudslide struck Gyirong county in Shigatse, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, on August 26 — and rescue teams were on the move within hours.

·A 111-strong firefighting team was airlifted to the disaster zone on a chartered flight, carrying search-and-detection equipment, life-saving gear, demolition tools and other supplies.

·A Y-20 transport aircraft headed for the disaster zone, carrying a coordination team from the PLA Western Theater Command Air Force to coordinate joint rescue efforts on the ground.

·Two military helicopters were deployed for aerial assessments and to map out rescue routes.

·Nearly 10,000 relief items — including tents, folding beds and sleeping mats — were dispatched from central stockpiles overnight.

By the early hours of August 27, hospitals near the disaster zone had set up temporary shelters for arriving volunteers, power crews were working around the clock, and trucks kept rolling in with blankets, water and food.

According to experts, the disaster originated in Nepal, where an ice avalanche is believed to have blocked a river, forming a temporary barrier that later burst.