BEIJING, August 26. /TASS/. Three people have been killed and 265 remain missing after a mudslide struck Gyirong County in Shigatse, in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, China Central Television reported, citing the crisis management center.

Preliminary figures as of 8 p.m. local time (12 p.m. GMT) put the death toll at three, with 265 people missing. The exact number of people affected is still being determined, while search-and-rescue operations continue.

The mudslide struck at around 10:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. GMT) from the Nepal side and affected the Gyirong Port area. Chinese authorities deployed 249 firefighters and rescuers, along with 325 engineering rescue personnel and equipment, to the disaster area. A Level II national emergency response for a geological disaster has been activated in the area.

China’s Finance Ministry and Emergency Management Ministry have allocated 120 million yuan [about $16.8 million] for rescue operations and assistance to those affected. The disaster area has also received 30,000 items of relief supplies.