Can Himalayan floods bridge the India-China divide?

When a few hours’ notice can save lives, fragmented or missing cross-country information becomes dangerous.

The Budhigandaki river flash flood has once again brutally reminded us that Himalayan disasters rarely respect administrative boundaries. A landslide blocked the river near Chumchet in Gorkha district, unleashing a sudden surge that swept away three dozen houses, half a dozen bridges and infrastructure at a hydropower construction site. At least five people are reported missing, 49 were rescued, and downstream communities across several districts were warned to evacuate immediately.