'Accusation helps nothing': China rejects Nepal's 'dam collapse' claim over floods
China has officially rejected Nepal's claims that a dam collapse on the Chinese side of the border caused catastrophic flooding in Nepal. The Chinese embassy labeled the accusations as fake news and urged for cooperative disaster management instead of blame.
Why it matters
This highlights ongoing geopolitical tensions and communication challenges between China and Nepal regarding shared Himalayan water resources and disaster response.
China on Thursday rejected Nepal’s claim that the collapse of a “geological disaster dam” on the Chinese side triggered the massive devastation in Nepal.The Chinese embassy in Nepal called the claim “fake news”, including an allegation that China had failed to issue an early warning to the Nepali side, resulting in significant casualties.In a statement on Facebook, the Chinese embassy in Nepal said: “An earthquake or earthquake-like glacier collapse occurred on the Nepali side on the morning of August 26, triggering huge mudslides, which caused significant casualties and left people missing on both the Nepali and Chinese sides of the Gyirong-Rasuwagadhi border region.”China ended its statement with: “Accusation helps nothing” and “cooperation saves lives.”The disaster in the Himalayan region has claimed at least 175 lives and left more than 1,300 people missing after a “powerful surge” of debris, including water, sediments, rock and ice.The sudden floods washed away villages and left a trail of destruction, with roads and buildings damaged or completely destroyed.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
The article presents both the accusation from Nepal and the rebuttal from China, maintaining a balanced reporting style.
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