China Censors Tibet Flood Videos as 500 Remain Missing in Gyirong
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 27
China Censors Tibet Flood Videos as 500 Remain Missing in Gyirong
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 27
Summary
More than 500 people were reported missing and three confirmed dead in Gyirong County after Wednesday’s flood, but by Thursday local videos of the damage had been removed from Chinese social media.
Those censored clips included a widely shared video of a mudslide swallowing a border crossing, while authorities gave no detailed account of which villages or settlements in the rural county were hit.
State media instead centered coverage on rescue operations, saying troops, emergency workers, drones and helicopters were deployed after Xi Jinping ordered all-out efforts to aid victims.
Tight controls in Tibet mean residents risk detention for speaking to journalists or posting material that conflicts with the official narrative, rights activists say.
That information blackout could hinder rescue work by suppressing reports on where people are trapped and where damage is worst, limiting what families and responders can learn.