Nepal Lights Candles for Flood Victims on 13th Day of Mourning

Nepal's citizens lit candles for the victims of the massive landslides and floods that struck the Himalayan region along the Nepal-China border, as the disaster entered its 13th day.

The Nepalese government designated the 7th a national day of mourning. The decision reflected a Hindu tradition observed by many Nepalis, which calls for rituals for the dead over 13 days. Government offices, including the Office of the Auditor General, and diplomatic missions lowered their flags in remembrance of the victims, who numbered in the thousands.

The government did not hold a large official memorial ceremony because search and rescue operations were still underway. Instead, citizens maintained a quiet atmosphere of mourning in their daily lives. Some lit candles in public squares and schools.

Hundreds gathered at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to mourn individually and in groups. Candles illuminated the square as people remembered those lost. The source also described a glimmer of hope amid the devastation, with people buried deep inside a tunnel at a hydropower plant construction site in Nuwakot, Bagmati Province, being part of the continuing rescue effort.