Buddhist ceremony held to pray for people affected by mudslide

Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po presided over a Buddhist ceremony at Tashilhunpo Monastery on Monday in Xigaze, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, praying for people affected by the mudslide disaster in Gyirong County.

At 9:30 in the morning, Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po led a sutra chanting ceremony, praying for the deceased to rest in peace and for those living to be free from suffering.

The ceremony lasted about 90 minutes and was attended by more than 200 monks from Tashilhunpo Monastery and representatives of Xigaze's religious community.

As of the latest, at least 16 people have been confirmed dead and 546 others remain missing after the mudslide struck Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border.