Rescuers at the site are conducting the search while guarding against falling rocks and potential breaches of a barrier lake formed after the mudslide. Excavators were busy repairing a key road to facilitate entry into the port. A total length of 2.6 km of road section had been restored, leaving 1.7 kilometers to go before reaching Gyirong Port by around 1 p.m. Saturday.

　　Earlier on Saturday, drones were seen delivering supplies to rescuers already stationed in the core disaster area, launched from a supply zone three kilometers away from the mudslide-hit port.

　　Huo Jianxin, a member of the advance group from the China Search and Rescue team, told Xinhua on Friday night that the team would deploy drones, search dogs and life-sign detectors in search operations. The team reached the core disaster zone on Friday afternoon.

　　"After we saw the situation here upon arrival, my team and I had just one hope: as long as there is even the slightest chance of finding survivors, we will never give up," Huo said.

　　Rescuers say operations remain challenging due to the harsh terrain, the risk of secondary disasters, damaged roads and disrupted communications.

　　Local authorities have warned that a barrier lake, formed upstream of the port, sits in an unstable geological setting and could breach, endangering rescue operations downstream.

　　The mudslide has destroyed a section of the G216, a national highway leading to the port, seriously hampering emergency response and rescue efforts.

　　China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise, deployed 60 technical and skilled personnel and mobilized 14 pieces of engineering rescue equipment, including excavators and loaders, to try to reopen the damaged section of G216.