Footage of Tibet floods isn't being shown in China - and we know little about victims there
Dramatic footage of flash floods at the Nepal-Tibet border has circulated globally, yet the event remains largely suppressed on Chinese state media and the internet. The incident highlights the strict information control Beijing maintains over the Tibet region.
Why it matters
It underscores the disparity between global information access and China's state-controlled digital environment, particularly regarding sensitive regions.
Figure caption, Video shows scale of flash flood hitting Nepal-Tibet border
The dramatic footage was almost impossible to miss. A torrent of water tearing through Gyirong Port, one of the main border crossings between Nepal and Tibet, sweeping away all in its path as hundreds of people fled for their lives.
The scenes, captured by CCTV cameras, quickly spread on social media and onto screens around the world.
Only a single still-frame shot has been broadcast so far by the country's state-run flagship news bulletin.
It has also been difficult to find the video on China's heavily censored internet. It is just as hard to even find posts describing the flash flooding that has claimed hundreds of lives, with just as many still unaccounted for since Wednesday.
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