By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 31 August: The toll from last week’s devastating floods in Tibet’s Kyirong region appears to be significantly higher than figures released by Chinese authorities, according to new information gathered by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), amid growing concerns over Beijing’s restrictions on information from the disaster zone.

Chinese authorities have reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing on the Tibetan side of the Nepal-Tibet border, including 261 foreign citizens, while ICT sources report widespread destruction and many people still unaccounted for.

Tencho Gyatso, president of the ICT, told The Guardian: “What is visible in Nepal exposes what is being concealed in Tibet.” She said four Tibetan villages — Sale, Serchung, Labi and Rizi — were among the hardest hit, with approximately 300 homes reportedly destroyed and many people still missing...