The true scale of devastation caused by recent flash floods in Nepal and Tibet continues to unfold, following an enormous glacier breaking away in the Himalayas. While the picture is emerging more quickly in Nepal, strict controls on information flow from Tibet are hampering public understanding of events.
The floods have devastated villages along the Himalayan border region between Nepal and the Chinese region of Tibet. On Friday, the official death toll in Nepal increased to 538 people. In contrast, the official death toll in China stands at five, despite several thousand people residing in villages around the Gyirong border crossing.
Journalists in Nepal have reportedly rushed to the disaster zone to interview survivors and rescue workers, gathering detailed accounts. However, in China, state media reports have focused on rescue efforts rather than the scale of the devastation, with one broadcast from a relief centre in Tibet showing a journalist not speaking to affected people.
Tibet, a tightly controlled region, makes independent assessments of the flash floods' impact difficult. Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at Soas University of London, stated that reporting on Tibet is viewed through a national security prism, meaning figures must be cleared from the top. China's leader, Xi Jinping, chaired a meeting on Friday to direct rescue work and dispatched premier Li Qiang to the affected area.