Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 29 (ANI): Tibetan officials have questioned whether authorities failed to provide timely warnings ahead of the flash flood that hit the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, saying a possible 20-minute gap between a glacier collapse and the flood surge could have given people time to escape.

Speaking to ANI, Tempa Gyaltsen, a Tibetan environmentalist and joint secretary at the Central Tibetan Administration's Department of Information and International Relations, said his research indicated a time difference of at least 20 minutes between the glacier collapse, as recorded by the US Geological Survey, and the flood reaching a Chinese border post that was subsequently washed away.

'Twenty minutes in a natural disaster is so much time for people to escape,' Gyaltsen said, accusing Chinese authorities of failing to alert communities and Nepal about the potential danger. He said an early warning could have enabled people to move to higher ground.

Tenzin Lekshay, spokesperson for the Tibetan government-in-exile, said the exact cause of the disaster remained unclear, with reports pointing to landslides and possible seismic activity.

'As of now, we do not really understand how this occurred and why it occurred. Many people are talking about it, but they are all speculations,' Lekshay said.

He also expressed concern over the wider risks posed by glaciers, earthquakes and major dam projects in the Himalayan region, urging authorities to ensure greater accountability and preparedness.

Both officials called for an international examination of the disaster, with Lekshay saying there had been loss of life on both sides of the border. He also noted that Rasuwa had experienced a similar flash flood last year, though he said this year's disaster was larger.

The officials' claims about the 20-minute warning window and the precise causes of the disaster could not be independently verified.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the death toll in the Bhotekoshi flood disaster has risen to 626, while 2,426 people remain missing.

Chitwan recorded the highest number of recovered bodies at 233, including human remains, followed by Nawalparasi East with 158, Nuwakot with 51, Gorkha with 48, Nawalparasi West with 47, Dhading with 45, Tanahun with 31 and Rasuwa with 13. (ANI)