Families of missing pilgrims in Tibet demand answers from China

Ten days after a devastating mudslide struck the Tibet-Nepal border, 261 foreign nationals remain missing, according to state news agency Xinhua. Indian-born Finnish citizen Priyanka Choudhary is among those still unaccounted for, as her brother, Tarun, expressed frustration over the lack of information from China. He stated, "We can’t go to China and talk to anyone, so I’m not able to understand how things are..."

No updates have been provided by the Chinese government on the ground, leaving families in the dark about the safety of their loved ones.

At least 31 people have been confirmed dead, with 531 missing on the Tibetan side alone. Naresh Goyal, brother of Neetu Goyal Tiwari, a 51-year-old British national, detailed his family's plight: "We are not getting anything from China, whether my sister is safe or alive or dead." UK police recently visited his sister's family home to collect a DNA sample from her daughter to present to Chinese authorities.

As of now, China's foreign ministry has not addressed the accusations of an information blackout, nor has it provided details on the timeline for victim identification or DNA collection protocols being utilized on the Tibetan side. Beijing claims transparency and readiness to collaborate with other countries and agencies in victim identification efforts.

They have dispatched DNA identification experts to Nepal, which has been severely impacted by the disaster. Authorities in Nepal regularly share updates on missing and deceased individuals on social media, while search efforts include active DNA testing. However, China has refused to provide video footage from their side of the border, including facial-recognition images, which could aid in the identification of the deceased.

Diplomats from countries with missing citizens in Nepal have requested briefings from China, but have not received any information on how the Chinese government plans to proceed with DNA identification.