Tibet floods prompt 24-hour hotlines for missing foreign nationals

The Embassy of India in Beijing has said authorities in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) have set up two dedicated 24-hour English-language hotlines to assist families seeking information about missing foreign nationals following the recent flash floods and mudslides in the region.

“Following the recent flash floods and mudslides in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), People’s Republic of China, TAR authorities have established two dedicated 24-hour English-language hotlines to assist families seeking information about missing foreign nationals,” the Embassy of India in Beijing said in a post on X.

The Embassy shared the two numbers through which families can seek information about missing foreign nationals. The hotlines can be reached at 0086-891-6817165 and 0086-183-0802-6705.

The advisory comes amid a devastating natural disaster that has caused widespread destruction across Tibet and neighbouring Nepal. Catastrophic flash floods and mudslides, triggered by the collapse of a Himalayan glacier, have severely affected areas along the China-Nepal border.

At least 16 people have been reported dead and 546 missing on the Chinese side alone following the disaster, while critical infrastructure has also been extensively damaged.

The disaster struck on Wednesday, August 26, with torrential floodwaters and mudslides sweeping through affected areas. Roads, bridges and other essential infrastructure were damaged, disrupting transport and access to several affected locations.

Meanwhile, authorities in Nepal have issued fresh warnings as water levels in major rivers continue to rise following the extreme weather and flooding.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) issued a flood warning on Sunday, stating that the water level in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district had risen further.

“All those engaged in search, rescue and relief operations in affected areas, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan districts, those staying along the riversides, and all other concerned are requested to remain alert,” the authority said in a notice issued on Sunday morning.

According to the Flood Forecasting Division under Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the water level in the Trishuli River, downstream of the Bhote Koshi in the Galchhi area of Dhading district, has risen three metres above the usual level.

Authorities have urged residents living near riverbanks and personnel involved in rescue and relief operations to remain vigilant as the threat of further flooding persists.

The establishment of dedicated English-language hotlines in Tibet is expected to provide a direct channel for families, including those outside China, seeking information about foreign nationals who may have gone missing in the disaster.

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