Fears of a second flood grow in Nepal and Tibet as more than 1,500 remain missing

A deadly flash flood that struck the border region between China and Nepal this week was initially shrouded in uncertainty, leading to a surge of misinformation on social media. Some users blamed the disaster on Chinese-built infrastructure in the area, while others suggested it was caused by human activity or Chinese dams. However, as news of the flood broke, the conflict over the root cause of the event continued online. A war of information persisted even after both China and Nepal agreed on the scientific analysis.

The initial suspicion was that the disaster may have originated from the Chinese side of the border, with some posts claiming it was caused by the collapse of a Chinese dam in Tibet. Indian-British journalist Tunku Varadarajan even went so far as to say, "China will be the death of everyone and everything downstream of it. Literally, and metaphorically." However, as satellite analysis later pointed to a glacier collapse in Nepal, rather than Chinese infrastructure, as the cause, the blame game began to shift.

Scientists are still unsure of what triggered the initial glacier collapse, but catastrophic events like this have happened in the region before. In 2021, a glacier collapse and avalanche occurred in India's Chamoli district. Despite the disagreement over the cause, early warnings from the Nepali authorities were reportedly inadequate, allowing the flood to sweep through Gyirong Port without prior notice.

This has led to accusations that China significantly undermined the affected region by failing to provide timely early warnings, resulting in a loss of human life.