China Flood Havoc: The World Sees the Destruction, But Why Is the Full Picture Hidden From Its Own People?

Tibet: The massive flood on the Nepal-Tibet border has also caused huge devastation in the Tibet region of China. According to reports, a large number of people have been killed and many are still reported missing. The flood waters passed through Gyirong Port, a major border crossing between Nepal and Tibet, very quickly and swept away many things in its path.

The magnitude of the flood can be gauged from the pictures and videos in which hundreds of people are seen running to save their lives. These scenes captured in CCTV cameras were rapidly circulated on social media and media platforms around the world. However, the availability of these photos and videos within China is said to be quite limited.

Is the complete picture of floods in China reaching the people?

According to the report, China's government media has so far broadcasted only a few pictures related to the incident and limited footage of the relief operation. Even on China's censored internet, independent posts related to the floods, eyewitness statements and information about the victims are said to be difficult to obtain.

In such a situation, many questions are being raised regarding the actual loss of life caused by the flood and the condition of the affected people.

How much devastation did the flood cause in Guirong Port?

Gyirong Port, one of the major border routes between Nepal and Tibet, was hit by severe flooding. The strong current swept away everything in its path. People were seen running towards safe places in flood affected areas.

However, detailed official figures of the total damage caused by the floods have not been revealed in the available reports.

Has China launched a large-scale relief operation?

The Chinese government has sent a large number of rescue teams to the flood-affected areas of Tibet. President Xi Jinping has held an emergency meeting and the Prime Minister himself has been sent to take stock of the situation. Pictures are being shown in the government media where rescue teams are searching for people amidst debris, mountains and swollen rivers.

Why are people's voices not coming?

The rescue operation is being shown a lot, but the real stories of the people trapped in the floods are not coming out. There is no report on what the survivors are facing or what the condition of the families of the missing. Foreign journalists are anyway prohibited from entering Tibet without government permission. The report is saying that Tibet's political history is also a major reason for low media coverage.

Why is it difficult to share information in Tibet?

According to the report, immediately after the disaster, the local Communist Party appealed to its people to help in relief work and maintain public trust. At the same time, human rights activists say that anyone who says something different from the government line or talks to foreign media, fears action. For this reason, true information on the ground is not coming out.

Is the real picture of the flood still far away from the world?

Pictures of China's relief and rescue operations are emerging after the floods, but independent information about the personal condition of the affected people, actual casualties and missing persons is still said to be limited. This is the reason why questions remain regarding the complete picture of this disaster.