The disaster has left five dead and 558 missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county, while Nepal reported 469 dead and nearly 1,000 missing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message of condolence to his Nepalese counterpart Ram Chandra Poudel following the devastating mudslides, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Xi also chaired a meeting of the Politburo that promised to send “urgent emergency assistance” and offered “international rescue cooperation” with Nepal, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Friday’s meeting, which began with a moment of silence for the victims, called for a “scientific and well-targeted” search and rescue plan to find all those still missing.
“Search and rescue operations face extreme difficulty due to the high-altitude, frigid environment, steep valleys, volatile weather and lingering geological hazards from surrounding glaciers and glacial lakes,” the Politburo said.