Chinese authorities announced Sunday that over 260 foreign nationals from 23 countries are among hundreds reported missing following last week’s devastating flood in Tibet, providing the most detailed accounting to date of those affected on their side of the border.
Xinhua, China’s state news agency, identified the largest groups of missing foreigners as 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans and 15 British citizens. In total, 546 people remain unaccounted for.
According to the regional government cited by Xinhua, the death toll in China’s Tibet region has risen to 16.
Nepalese disaster relief authorities reported Sunday morning that 734 people had been confirmed dead and nearly 2,500 remained missing following the flooding.
Tibet, annexed by Beijing in the 1950s, has long been one of China’s most tightly controlled regions, where Tibetan protesters and self-immolations have periodically called for greater autonomy.
Since flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border began last Wednesday, Chinese authorities have offered limited details regarding those affected on their side. Additionally, Chinese social media platforms have censored much independent content, including photos and videos posted by bystanders and hikers.
Chinese authorities routinely enforce strict information control following major disasters, aiming to manage public opinion and prevent discourse from escalating into anger or criticism of the government.
Sunday officials provided the most detailed timeline to date of the disaster’s unfolding.
According to Su Pengcheng, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, remote-sensing data and field analysis show that a glacier on Langtang Lirung—a peak in Nepal—detached at approximately 17,000 feet elevation around 10 a.m. local time.
The falling ice eroded the mountainside, forming what Dr. Su described as a “massive landslide.” Debris traveled at high speed for roughly 13 miles before striking Gyirong Port, a Nepal-China border crossing. Dr. Su noted the disaster impacted 172 acres and destroyed 27 structures at the crossing.
Chinese rescue workers reached the devastated border crossing on Friday afternoon, over 50 hours after the landslide struck. However, destroyed roads, ongoing rainfall, and fears of further flooding have complicated site access.
China’s embassy in Kathmandu announced Sunday that helicopters had been dispatched and 94 Chinese nationals rescued.
Xi Jinping pledged Friday to assist Nepal with rescue efforts. The Chinese Embassy’s Facebook post stated that five tunnel experts have been sent to a damaged hydropower station in Nepal, with four more en route.
