Ex-Nepal Minister Alleges China Gave No Warning Before Deadly Flash Floods

Nepal's former Forest and Environment Minister Madhav Prasad Chaulagain has alleged that China did not provide a timely warning before devastating flash floods struck areas near the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday. The disaster, involving a massive flow of ice, rocks and mud, has killed hundreds of people and left thousands missing, while rescue teams continue operations across affected areas.

In an interview with NDTV, Chaulagain claimed Nepal received no warning from Chinese authorities before the disaster struck at around 8:40 am. He argued that the lack of timely information-sharing between the two neighbouring countries worsened the human cost of the disaster. According to him, an agreed warning protocol following a smaller glacier-related incident in 2025 was not activated during the latest event.

Chaulagain also disputed Beijing's assertion that the collapse began on Nepali territory, maintaining that the event originated in Tibet. At the same time, he acknowledged that the exact circumstances require greater transparency and investigation. He argued that the disaster exposed gaps in regional disaster preparedness and highlighted the need for countries sharing the Himalayan region to exchange risk information more effectively.

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The former minister also pointed to limitations in Nepal's existing early-warning and environmental assessment systems. He noted that planning had largely focused on glacial lakes, while the latest disaster involved ice and rock falls and the collapse of a glacier-fed river system that had not been adequately anticipated. Chaulagain described the absence of a functioning Nepal-China-India warning mechanism as a major concern and urged greater cooperation over disaster-related data.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the Nepal flash floods rose to 626 on Saturday, with rescue and relief operations continuing for the fourth consecutive day. Nearly 2,500 people have been evacuated, while more than 2,400 remain missing. The scale of the disaster has prompted a major mobilisation of security forces as authorities work to locate missing people and provide assistance to communities affected by flooding and mudslides.

More than 11,000 security personnel have been deployed for search and rescue operations, including over 5,000 members of the Nepal Army. The continuing operations come as authorities assess the damage and search for survivors across the worst-affected areas. The disaster has also intensified calls for stronger cross-border information-sharing and early-warning systems to help Himalayan countries respond more effectively to sudden glacial and flood-related hazards.

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