This week, Nepal mourned the victims of the devastating floods that occurred on the border between Nepal and China. At the same time, the government continues its search and rescue operations.
The Nepalese Ministry of Home Affairs stated in a press release that in this country with a population of 30 million, predominantly Hindu, government agencies and embassies abroad will lower flags to half-mast to commemorate the 13th day after the death of the deceased. This day is considered by believers as the final day of mourning, during which they commemorate the deceased through rituals and offering food.
On August 26, a massive mudslide caused by a glacier collapse in the Himalayas along the Nepal-China border swept away towns and villages, burying roads and highways under piles of mud and debris.
The mudslide has claimed at least 1,380 lives, with over 5,500 people missing.
In recent days, the Nepalese search and rescue teams have rescued 4 individuals, including a Chinese citizen rescued on Saturday from a tunnel. The other three are two hydropower plant workers rescued on Friday from another tunnel, and a Nepalese woman rescued on Saturday from a buried house.
Rescue operations in Nepal are focused on the hydropower stations in the region, as authorities believe that there may still be survivors there.
As search and rescue teams continue to look for survivors, the government has no plans for any large-scale events on the final day of mourning.
Phanindra Paudel of the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) told Reuters, “Due to ongoing search and rescue operations in the affected areas, no government mourning activities are currently being organized.”
An aide to Nepalese President Ram Chandra Paudel stated that Paudel inspected the flood-affected areas on Monday and will investigate the losses caused by the disaster.
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah posted on social media that the Nuwakot district prison was one of the severely affected areas by the disaster. Security personnel at the prison moved 923 inmates to higher buildings before the floodwaters inundated the low-lying prison building, preventing them from being overcome by the disaster.
Authorities also captured 50 prisoners who escaped the prison during the flood. However, they had only managed to escape about 100 meters from the prison.