Severe Flash Floods in Tsongon Region Cause Widespread Damage
DHARAMSALA, 5 Sept: Heavy rainfall since 1 September has triggered severe flooding across multiple prefectures in the Tsongon region in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo, resulting in loss of life and extensive damage to infrastructure and livestock.
According to local media reports, the hardest-hit areas include Tsolho, Tsochang, and Tsoshar prefectures in the Tsongon Region.
Additionally, multiple villages from Serchen County in Tsongon Prefecture and Malho County in Tsechen Prefecture were hard hit by flash floods on 2 September that caused widespread destruction.
The calamity has reportedly claimed the lives of six people so far, including five individuals in a single vehicle and one person swept away by floodwaters. The full extent of casualties remains unclear.
Eyewitnesses describe seeing the carcasses of numerous animals, particularly sheep, scattered across flood-affected areas. The calamity has further caused significant damage to critical infrastructure, with reports of destroyed bridges, impassable roads, and collapsed buildings.
The provincial capital, Ziling, has not been spared, with flooding causing considerable damage to major highways in the area.
The Tsongon Meteorological Bureau has issued a severe weather warning for 3 to 5 September, forecasting continued heavy rain, hail, and an increased risk of flash floods and mudslides across much of the region.
A local Tibetan resident took to the social media platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, stating that the severity of the forecasted rainfall is unprecedented in living memory.
