By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, March 20: A fire reportedly broke out on the evening of March 15 on the slopes of a mountain near Petse village, compelling over 3000 Tibetans from approximately 11 villages in three areas of Nyagchu County, or Yajiang in Chinese, to vacate their residences. Nyagchu County is situated in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture within the traditional Kham region of eastern Tibet.
According to the reports, the fire has so far claimed no lives so far. The majority of the County’s population are Tibetans.
According to China Daily’s report on Monday, one of the three main segments of the fire has been extinguished. The fire, divided into three primary sections, faced challenges in containment due to erratic wind patterns that propelled it in various directions.
Chinese state media disclosed that over 1,200 firefighters and eight helicopters were dispatched to combat the fire, with an additional 750 firefighters anticipated from the neighbouring so-called Yunnan Province. Jamyang Choekhorling Monastery, established by the esteemed Tibetan religious figure and activist Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, along with the Pamo Monastery near Pamo Mountain, is located near the rapidly spreading fire zone.
Efforts to contain the fire and minimize damage to residences, monasteries, and livestock are jointly undertaken by firefighters, local Chinese authorities, and Tibetan residents. However, Chinese authorities have cautioned Tibetans against sharing any visual documentation of the fire on social media platforms or with contacts abroad, against the threat of potential consequences including arrest, as relayed by a source within Tibet to RFA.
One Response
Wow big fire hope everyone is safe. Chinese might have intentionally done this to harm Tibetans as they are the most evil race on earth, as evil as white colonists in 19th century. They are as evil as tyranny of British empire if not more.