In brief
Nine days after a terrifying flash flood ripped through the Nepal‑Tibet border, the nation entered a national day of mourning. Flags were lowered to half‑mast while citizens lit candles in the final day of a 13‑day Hindu grief ritual. Rescue crews continue to scour the wreckage, hoping for survivors in tunnels and collapsed houses. The president toured the ruins, and the army and civil authorities pressed on with search and rescue.
N Nepal observes national day of mourning for flash‑flood victims
Nepalis lit candles to mark the last day of a 13‑day Hindu mourning period while the country entered a national day of mourning for the victims of a deadly flash flood.
Flags across the nation fell to half‑mast, and planned public commemorations were held back as rescue teams continued to search for survivors. Candlelight vigils were slated for Monday evening to honour the dead.
The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse, raged through villages in the Himalayan valley along the Nepal‑Tibet border, claiming at least 1,287 lives and leaving more than 5,000 people missing.
Phanindra Paudel of the National Emergency Operation Centre told Reuters that no government programmes would be held as the search and rescue operation persisted.
President Ram Chandra Paudel toured devastated districts, while the home ministry ordered government offices and foreign missions to fly the national flag at half‑mast.
Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said the focus remained on ground, aerial and tunnel searches, ensuring no one stayed stranded.
Rescue teams have pulled four people to safety in recent days, including a 64‑year‑old woman found alive on the fourth floor of a collapsed house, an operation that highlighted the ongoing hope amid devastation.
Meanwhile, Chinese rescuers obtained 12 bodies using excavators, shovels and ground‑penetrating radar. The death toll remains high, with 5,083 missing in Nepal and 531 unaccounted for on the Tibetan side.
