Nepal Floods: Former Minister Warns of Rising Death Toll Amid Information Gaps

New Delhi, India Aug 27, 2026 ALN: Nepal's former Forest and Environment Minister Madhav Prasad Chaulagain has raised alarms over the lack of timely information sharing between Nepal and China ahead of the devastating floods that struck border areas, warning that the death toll could rise "unbelievably" as authorities continue to assess the scale of the disaster.

A glacier collapse in Tibet triggered catastrophic flash floods in the border areas of China and Nepal on Wednesday morning. Nepal has reported 270 deaths, while the overall toll, including in Tibet, is said to have crossed 500. Thousands of people are also missing, including nearly 300 Indian tourists.

Chaulagain, who had previously handled the physical infrastructure portfolio, noted that Nepal had experienced a similar but smaller-scale glacier collapse in 2025, highlighting the recognized need for timely exchange of early-warning information between the two countries.

"It has become a quite concerning state because it was early in the morning. So we observed that there is some lack of the timely information exchange between the two countries," he stated.

Chaulagain mentioned that Nepal and Chinese authorities have now agreed to improve the flow of information, but suggested that the absence of adequate preparedness may have affected both sides.

"Apparently, yesterday, the Meteorological Department and Chinese authorities realized this, and from now onwards they have agreed to share timely information," he said.

He added, "From the Chinese side... there is some lack of information sharing," noting that the Chinese side had also suffered extensive damage and may not have been fully prepared for the disaster.

On the cause of the disaster, Chaulagain clarified that it was now understood that the floods were not triggered by an earthquake, as initially reported, but followed a blockage of the river caused by landslide debris and ice, resulting in a sudden outburst.

"As far as we know, it's not because of the earthquake thing, but it's because of the river blocked by the landslide and ice fall," he explained.

However, he stated that the precise trigger for the landslide remained unclear, with climate change and rising temperatures among the possible factors.

"So far, we have received a generic kind of explanation only, like now we know this climate change things, temperature rising, glacier melting," he added.

Chaulagain emphasized the need for Nepal to gain greater access to information and satellite imagery from the Tibetan side to establish exactly what happened.

"We are hoping that we'll get more clarity in the days to come," he said.

He also warned that the number of missing people, including Indian tourists, could increase as many travelers in the affected region may not have been included in official records.

The affected area is not only a Nepal-China border crossing but also lies along a major pilgrimage route used by people traveling towards Kailash Mansarovar and other religious destinations, he noted.

"There are many people crossing from the Indian border. So they also visit that site," Chaulagain said, adding that trekkers and domestic pilgrims also travel through the area without necessarily being formally registered.

"This gives a picture that the death toll would rise unbelievably," he warned.

Regarding coordination with India, Chaulagain mentioned that New Delhi was among the first neighboring countries to respond, with the Indian embassy initiating coordination and joint search operations.

Authorities are gathering more information from the ground to determine the actual number of tourists present in the affected areas and trace those still unaccounted for.

Chaulagain stated that the Nepal government had declared a state of emergency in the affected area and was mobilizing available resources for rescue and recovery operations.

He noted that Nepal has disaster-management mechanisms and early-warning systems for smaller and medium-scale disasters, including systems to monitor high-risk glacial lakes and send alerts through mobile networks.

However, he acknowledged that the magnitude of the latest disaster was beyond what authorities could have anticipated.

"This scale of disaster is beyond anyone's, like, comparison... Nobody was prepared," he said.

Chaulagain highlighted that Nepal is particularly vulnerable to climate-related disasters despite contributing relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions.

"We are mountain countries, and we have not done any wrong against our environment... But we are facing the challenge," he lamented.

"Because of the global warming thing, the mountains are suffering, mountain people are suffering, and this is a very sad story that we have witnessed here," he added.

He also pointed out the extensive infrastructure damage caused by the floods, stating that around 40 kilometers of roads and nearly 18 bridges had been swept away.

Authorities are now working to restore connectivity and construct emergency passages to reconnect communities cut off by the disaster, he said.

On international assistance, Chaulagain noted that India had already sent a flight carrying relief materials, while China had offered funds for relief operations. The World Bank, the United States, and volunteer organizations were also extending support.

"We actually need that in the time like this," he concluded.