China Punishes Posts Claiming Thousands Died in Tibet Floods as Online Controls Tighten

Chinese authorities have punished social media users who posted dramatically higher death tolls after floods struck Gyirong Port in Tibet, while online material showing conditions on the ground has also disappeared.

Tibetan police said they had identified 10 online rumors about damage linked to flooding in Nepal and imposed administrative penalties. One user was punished after posting that thousands had died at the Gyirong border checkpoint in Xigaze. Others posted claims that more than 3,000 people had died on the Chinese side, that about 500 had died and all missing people were likely dead, or that the number missing had reached 826.

China said that by Aug. 30, 16 people had died and 546 remained missing in Gyirong County, including 261 foreigners. Authorities said some users spread false information to attract attention and increase view counts. China’s Public Security Administration Punishments Law allows detention or fines for deliberately spreading false disaster or warning information that disrupts public order.

Tibetan police described the campaign as part of the “Clean Internet-2026” special operation and said they would continue targeting online rumors about the disaster. At the same time, footage of mudflows sweeping away buildings and vehicles was reportedly removed from Chinese social media. Some Chinese media outlets also deleted reports containing interviews with residents a few hours after publication.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that China-based authorities had rejected its requests for permission to visit the area. Foreign journalists need separate official approval to enter Tibet, while state media coverage has focused on rescue teams and road repairs. Reporting from Nepal has included interviews with survivors and residents, but the scale of the disaster on the Tibetan side remains difficult to independently verify.