Tibet flash floods leave 558 missing near China-Nepal border

Flash floods tore through Gyirong County on the Tibet-Nepal border, leaving five dead and hundreds missing. The disaster has triggered a major rescue effort and raised fears of fresh flooding from a new barrier lake.

In Short

• Chinese authorities evacuated over 1,000 people, including tourists and local residents
• Among the unaccounted, 260 foreigners were identified, with nationalities undisclosed
• Road links, power supply and communications were disrupted across Gyirong County

China said on Friday that five people were killed and 558 others remained missing after flash floods hit a port area along the China-Nepal border in Tibet. Of those missing, 260 have been identified as foreign nationals, though their nationalities have not been disclosed.

The floods struck Gyirong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday, sweeping through villages and towns near the border. The disaster also claimed as many as 538 lives in Nepal. Chinese authorities said rescue and evacuation operations were under way, while concerns grew over a newly formed barrier lake in the area.

According to Tibet's emergency management department, the death toll in the region rose to five, while 558 people were still unaccounted for. A large number of Indian pilgrims are currently visiting Tibet for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra after ties between China and India improved. Some of the Indian pilgrims were reportedly at the immigration building on the Tibet-Nepal border when the flash flood hit the area hard. Videos of the massive flood engulfing the large immigration building were widely shared online.

Earlier in the day, Chinese officials said more than 1,000 people, including 555 tourists and 499 local residents, had been evacuated from Gyirong County, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. The state-run Global Times later reported that no tourist remained stranded in the area. Asked about the missing foreign tourists in Tibet, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing was coordinating with the relevant embassies on the details.

Rescue work is continuing in the region, with civil aviation authorities also involved. By Thursday, civil aviation services had transported 324 rescue personnel and delivered 24 tonnes of rescue equipment, daily necessities and medical supplies to the affected area, the report said. Roads leading to the port on the Chinese side were cut off by the floods, which also disrupted communications and power supply.

State-run CGTV reported that phased progress had been made in restoring emergency communication support and infrastructure. Citing the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, it said one telecom base station had been restored, two new base stations had been put into operation and 5G inter-network roaming had also been activated. Late on Thursday, China issued a Level-IV alert, warning that a newly formed barrier lake at the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers faced a high risk of breaching and flooding downstream areas. Authorities estimated that about 2 million cubic metres of water had already collected in the lake, with another 3 million cubic metres likely to flow into it over the next three days.

In sum, the flash floods in Tibet have left five dead and 558 missing, including 260 foreigners, while hundreds have been evacuated and rescue work continues amid the added risk of further flooding from the barrier lake.

With PTI Inputs

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