Before last week's deluge in a Himalayan valley killed more than 900 people along the Nepal border, Chinese officials spent months repairing damage from an earlier landslide and preparing for glacial lake outbursts. Fourteen months earlier, a glacial lake burst caused a landslide that swept away trucks, houses, and a bridge at Gyirong Port. Authorities closed the port for nearly half a year, updated emergency plans, and built flood walls, dikes, and diversion channels. Gyirong County added glacial lake defense training and held expert sessions. Villagers simulated landslides with loudspeaker and WeChat alerts. In July, the top county official ordered staff to detect and report glacial flood signs early.

None of that preparation sufficed. On Wednesday, a different hazard — an ice avalanche from a collapsing glacier — sent a tsunami-like wave of ice, boulders, and water through Gyirong Port, demolishing 27 buildings before surging into Nepal. Officials estimated only six to seven minutes between the avalanche and impact. The landslide killed at least 903 people in Nepal and 16 in Tibet, with thousands missing. Geologists say monitoring systems weren't built for ice collapse, potentially caused by thawing permafrost. Chinese scientists are developing ice avalanche warnings in Sedongpu Valley, but Gyirong prioritized monitoring 200-plus glacial lakes.

The dual disasters raise questions about building critical infrastructure in a narrow gorge where two glacier-fed rivers descend 10,000 feet. Gyirong Port handles nearly a third of China-Nepal trade and 180,000 travelers annually. Experts note the flat ground hosting the customs yard and truck park takes a direct hit every time.