BEIJING: Chinese auth­or­ities penalised 10 people accused of spreading misinformation online about a deadly mudslide along the Nepal border, police said on Monday, as rescuers scour for hundreds missing at a border crossing on the Tibetan side.

The penalties, which could range from fines to 10 days in detention, come as rescuers on both sides of the border pressed on with search operations after a devastating wall of water tore through parts of Nepal and Tibet in China last week, sweeping away entire villages.

Rumours shared by the 10 individuals suggested the number of missing or dead was vastly more than officially reported figures, according to a statement by the cybersecurity bureau of China’s Ministry of Public Security.

One individual, surnamed Qiu, had shared online that “the news reports 1,400 fatalities, but in reality 3,000 people had previously been reported missing”, while another surnamed Liu had said more than 3,000 people died in China as a result of the mudslide, the statement added.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2026