Brussels, August 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The collapse of a glacier near the Langtang Lirung peak, which triggered devastating flash floods across parts of Tibet and Nepal, has drawn scrutiny over China’s handling of information about the disaster.
A report published in the European Times alleged that Chinese authorities have sought to restrict information about the avalanche and its aftermath, while the scale of the disaster has become increasingly evident from developments downstream in Nepal.
Khedroob Thondup, nephew of the Dalai Lama, wrote in the report that the glacier collapse released seismic energy comparable to a 5.2-magnitude earthquake and sent a massive volume of ice and water into the valley.
“Yet inside Tibet, the catastrophe exists only in whispers,” Thondup wrote, alleging that Beijing’s censorship had prevented official information about the disaster from reaching the public.
According to the report, the incident has raised concerns over the vulnerability of the Himalayan ecosystem amid climate change and the expansion of hydropower and infrastructure projects in the region.
It also argued that the cross-border impact of the floods highlights the importance of timely warnings and transparent communication, particularly for communities downstream in Nepal and other countries.
The European Times report alleged that Tibetan witnesses and border communities have faced restrictions in sharing information about the disaster, while accounts of missing people and damage in affected areas remain difficult to verify independently.
It further claimed that the incident fits a broader pattern in which disasters in Tibet, including earthquakes, landslides and dam-related incidents, have allegedly received limited coverage through official channels.
The report noted that the Himalayas are warming faster than the global average, increasing concerns over glacier retreat and instability. It argued that glacier-related disasters could have consequences extending well beyond national borders as rivers originating in the Himalayan region flow into Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
The allegations concerning censorship and the reported scale of the disaster could not be independently verified from the material cited in the report.
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