At least six people have died and a great number of livestock of cattle and sheep have been killed due to the flooding caused by intense hail and heavy rainfall in several towns of the southern region of Serchen County in Qinghai Province, Tibet.
In the past few days, many places in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Haidong Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture have been experiencing hail and heavy rainfall.
On September 2nd, the towns of Tel Nag and Ta-Nag Ma in Serchen County in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, as well as the town of Topden in Tze-Khog County in Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, suffered heavy destruction and loss of both human lives and properties due to flooding caused by hail and heavy rainfall. Additionally, many highways in the Xining and other neighbouring counties have been affected, resulting in halted travel and transportation.
According to a reliable Tibetan source, heavy rainfall has caused devastating flooding and extensive damage in Tel-nag, Serchen County, in the Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province. At least six individuals have perished and numerous livestock have been injured or killed. The neighbouring counties have also been affected by the flooding.
A report published today, on 4th September, by the Traffic Police Station in Dashi County of Qinghai Province states that the 24km long highway that stretches from western side of Tongkor to Xining has been blocked, on account of the heavy rainfall. On 3rd September, the Haibei Meteorological Bureau, Qinghai Province issued a warning of potential flooding, landslide and mudslides from the evening of the 3rd September through 4th September across the towns of Dashi County, Julug, Dhola and Kang Tsa in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
Between 8 pm on the 3rd of September and 8 pm on the 4th of September, the Qinghai Meteorological Bureau has forecasted heavy rainfall and strong rainstorms in the city of Xining, the Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures of Haidong, Hainan and Haibei as well as the eastern parts of Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and the northern parts of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The same forecast extended to most parts of Yushu (Yulshul) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and the northern region of central Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The forecast also predicted moderate rainfalls in the other parts of the Qinghai Province. The Bureau has forecasted little to moderate rainfall in most regions of the Qinghai Province from 4th September until 8 pm, 5th September.
This latest disaster follows a series of similar catastrophic events in the region. On 16th, August 2022 at least 6 people died and 17 people went missing due to a sudden and devastating flood in Serkhog County, Qinghai Province. On August 23, 2024, a flood caused by hail and heavy rainfall devastated Mang County in the Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Nomadic pastoral households living in the two summer grazing areas of Penchen and Penchung from Gongwa and Rumang Villages of Mang County lost at least 2000 livestock, including cattle and sheep. Additionally, 5 people—two men and three women—lost their lives due to the devastation caused by flooding and hail.
Reported by Jampa Tsering
Translated by TenGyal
Edited by Kelsang Jinpa
