Nepal Observes Day of Mourning for Flood Victims

Nepal has declared a national day of mourning to honour the more than 1,300 lives lost during last month’s severe floods. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced that government offices and diplomatic missions are flying national flags at half-mast as a mark of respect.

The floods, which occurred on August 26, were triggered by a massive landslide caused by a glacier collapse along the Himalayan border between Nepal and Tibet, China. This catastrophic event resulted in the deaths of at least 1,380 people, with over 5,500 individuals reported missing.

In observance of the final day of mourning in the Hindu tradition, close relatives remain at home while others visit to pay their respects. However, official commemorations are limited due to ongoing rescue operations.

Phanindra Paudel from the National Emergency Operation Center indicated that no formal activities have been organised, stating, “There are no government programmes organised as the rescue and search operation is still going on in the flood-hit areas.”

Rescue teams have made recent progress, saving four individuals, including a Chinese national discovered in a tunnel associated with hydropower projects. The remaining rescues included two hydropower workers and a Nepali woman found in her collapsed home.

On the day of mourning, President Ram Chandra Paudel is scheduled to tour areas affected by the disaster to assess the damage firsthand. Families of those still missing are gathering in Kathmandu, voicing their concerns over the pace of rescue efforts.

Sumana Shrestha, a family member searching for her missing husband, described their plight: “We are here because we have not heard of any rescue attempt on this project, but it has been 13 days already. The only thing we have been able to do is pray to God and hope for a miracle.”

Another protestor, Mahesh Prasad Shrestha, highlighted the lack of adequate rescue equipment, noting that authorities only dispatched a minor excavator several days post-disaster.

Rescue operations are particularly focused on 12 hydropower sites where approximately 900 workers remain missing, with around 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels. Specialised teams from India, China, South Korea, and the United States are partaking in the recovery efforts, sifting through debris and damaged structures.