Tibet Flood: China Under Fire Over Censorship, Devastating Footage Missing From the Internet

Beijing/Tibet: The devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have caused large-scale devastation. Amidst the deaths of hundreds of people in Nepal and thousands missing, Gyirong Port and surrounding areas in China's Tibet region have also been heavily damaged. But questions are being raised on China's information system regarding the pictures and videos of this disaster. According to international media reports, more pictures of relief and rescue operations are being shown in China than the devastation caused by floods. At the same time, the video of Guirong Port being washed away spread rapidly on social media in other parts of the world, but it is said to be difficult to find on China's internet.

What happened in Guirong Port?

Gyirong Port, which is one of the major border routes between Nepal and China, was hit by flash floods and debris. According to initial reports, the situation in the border area went out of control after huge amounts of water, soil and rocks came down from the mountain. In the video that surfaced, people are seen running to escape the strong current and within no time the water and debris engulfs buildings and other structures.

How many deaths has China confirmed so far?

Chinese officials had confirmed at least five deaths in Tibet as of Friday, while hundreds were reported missing. Later reports put the number of missing people at 554. China has sent a large number of relief workers and experts to the affected area.

Why are videos of floods not visible in China?

International media reports, including BBC, have claimed that China's internet and government media have very limited independent video and eyewitness information related to the flood devastation. On the contrary, scenes related to rescue workers, relief material and operations are being shown prominently in government broadcasts. The video of the destruction of Guirong Port, however, has spread internationally.

Has China intensified relief and rescue operations?

China has launched a large-scale relief operation after the disaster. According to government information, after the landslide, China activated Level-II emergency response for geological disaster and sent thousands of relief materials. Rescue teams found it difficult to reach the spot as roads, communication and electricity systems were affected.

On Friday, Chinese rescue teams succeeded in reaching the main disaster area of ​​Guirong Port after about 50 hours. Teams used multiple means to reach there, including footpaths, ropes, boats and drones.

Is there a threat of flood again?

A new natural obstacle has increased concerns after the disaster. A temporary lake was formed due to blockage of the river due to heavy debris. After the water increased, news of its overflow came, due to which the rescue operation had to be stopped for some time. Both China and Nepal increased vigilance in affected areas due to the threat of possible second floods.

What is difficult for journalists in Tibet?

There are strict rules on the movement of foreign journalists in Tibet and it is not easy to freely access affected areas. For this reason, it is becoming difficult to get an independent picture of the ground situation after the disaster. International media has also raised questions regarding this information limitation.

What questions are being raised regarding China's censorship?

Information control on the Internet is already tight in China. In such a situation, during a major natural disaster in a sensitive place like Tibet, it is natural to raise questions about censorship as independent videos and voices of local people appear to be limited. However, there has been no detailed public explanation from the Chinese government regarding these allegations that would explain the full picture of the lack of freely available video and online content.

Meanwhile, rescue operations are underway on the ground. The scope of devastation is large on both sides of Nepal and Tibet and the search for missing people has not been completed yet.