Nepal marks day of mourning as flood search continues
Flags are flying at half-mast as search teams look for survivors and more than 5,500 people reported missing after catastrophic flooding.
Nepal is observing a national day of mourning after floods reportedly triggered by a glacier-related collapse killed at least 1,380 people on 26 August.
Government offices in Nepal and diplomatic missions abroad are flying the national flag at half-mast on the 13th day since the disaster. The Ministry of Home Affairs said the observance coincides with the final day of mourning in Hindu tradition.
No wider government events have been planned while rescue and search operations continue. Phanindra Paudel of Nepal’s National Emergency Operation Center said resources remained focused on flood-affected areas.
More than 5,500 people have been reported missing. Search teams have recently rescued four people, including a Chinese national, two hydropower workers and a Nepali woman.
Operations are focused on 12 hydropower projects, where about 900 workers are missing. Authorities say roughly 500 may be trapped in tunnels, a claim that has not been independently verified. Teams from India, China, South Korea and the United States are assisting.
Families of missing hydropower workers protested in Kathmandu, calling for searches to be accelerated. President Ram Chandra Paudel is touring affected areas to assess the damage.
