Conspiracy theories surrounding the Nepal mudslide

The catastrophic mudslide along the China-Nepal border has triggered a wave of anti-China misinformation online. Here are the facts behind three of the most widely circulated claims↓↓↓

Claim One: Chinese dams or construction caused the disaster.

• This allegation spread widely across some Indian media outlets. Some even used AI-generated images and videos as "evidence".

• However, scientific findings show that the disaster began with a massive slope failure involving a glacier in Nepal's Langtang National Park.

Claim Two: China concealed the disaster.

• Some Western media outlets, including The New York Times, the BBC, The Guardian and The Telegraph, suggested China was hiding the scale of the disaster.

• However, Chinese media reported casualties, missing persons and rescue efforts from day one, focusing on verified information rather than repeatedly broadcasting graphic images.

Claim Three: China knowingly failed to warn Nepal.

• Some pro-DPP commentators in China's Taiwan province propagated this claim to fuel anti-China sentiment.

• However, the source area was in Nepal, and the collapse triggered a destructive debris flow that reached China's Gyirong Port within minutes — barely enough time to assess the situation, let alone issue an effective warning.

The facts should outlive the propaganda. A disaster demands scrutiny — but it must never be reduced to ammunition for a political agenda.