New Delhi, August 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former Nepal Forest and Environment Minister Madhav Prasad Chaulagain has alleged that China did not issue a timely warning to Nepal before devastating flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, raising questions over the availability and sharing of disaster-related information.
Speaking to NDTV, Chaulagain said Nepal had received no advance alert from China before a massive flow of ice, rock and mud swept through the border region. He described the alleged withholding of information as “against humanity” and called for greater transparency regarding the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
Chaulagain also disputed China’s claim that the collapse originated on Nepalese territory, maintaining that the disaster began in Tibet.
“Things are not so clear,” he said, arguing that the tragedy also exposed gaps in Nepal’s disaster preparedness and planning.
According to the former minister, Nepal’s early-warning mechanisms and environmental assessments for hydropower projects had primarily focused on glacial lakes. The August 26 disaster, he said, involved ice and rock falls and the collapse of a glacier-fed river system that had not been adequately anticipated.
The allegations come amid a report by The Times of Israel claiming that videos showing destruction caused by flash floods and mudslides in Tibet were being removed from Chinese social media platforms.
The report said videos began appearing online within hours of the disaster, including security footage showing a large surge of mud and debris overwhelming buildings at Gyirong Port. It also cited a Bhutanese journalist who highlighted the alleged removal of disaster footage from Chinese platforms.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the August 26 disaster had claimed 734 lives, while 2,498 people remained unaccounted for, including 589 foreigners.
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