Nepal flash floods destroy Gyirong Port, situated on the Nepal-China border
The disaster has killed more than 1,300 people and left more than 5,600 missing across the two countries, according to the latest figures cited in reports. Chinese authorities’ death toll update on Friday, raised the number killed in Tibet to 31 and said 531 people remained unaccounted for. An earlier update had put the toll at 21 dead and 541 missing, including 261 foreigners from 23 countries. Chinese state media circulated details of 10 cases in which people across the country were detained or fined for allegedly spreading rumours about the disaster. Punishments included police detention of between five and 10 days, with some people also fined.
Yet China has released information about the disaster slowly and tightly controlled access to affected areas, offering little public detail about those who died or remain missing. The Nepalese army has released footage of helicopter rescues and survivors being pulled from mud-filled hydropower tunnels, while journalists have been able to visit affected sites, rescue camps and burial grounds.
Human Rights Watch said some Chinese journalists had been instructed not to interview relatives of people killed or missing and to rely only on material provided by Xinhua. Chinese state media outlets Xinhua and CCTV have been allowed into the affected areas, but their coverage has largely focused on the government’s rescue and relief response. Reports have highlighted President Xi Jinping’s instructions, rescuers working in difficult conditions and the logistics of delivering aid, rather than identifying victims or giving families a public platform. The restrictions have also extended to social media. The response stands in stark contrast to neighbouring Nepal, where authorities have provided regular updates on those killed, missing and rescued.
Another missing Chinese national, He Hongrong, was last seen on the Nepal side carrying a green backpack and waiting to cross into China. Her family has circulated her photograph online in the hope that someone can provide information about her whereabouts.