Nepal mourns 1,398 flood victims as rescue work continues

Nepal lowered its flags to half-mast on Monday as the country mourned at least 1,398 people killed by glacial floods and mountain collapses on the China-Nepal border. More than 5,500 people remain missing, including about 800 foreigners.

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the same tempo

The national mourning came on the 13th day after the deaths, in line with Hindu mourning rituals. Candlelight vigils were planned, while families of missing hydropower workers prayed that rescuers could still reach people trapped in tunnels.

Three workers have been rescued from deep underground, two Nepalis on Friday and a Chinese worker on Saturday. The rescues have raised hopes that others may still be alive. Nepal Army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet said teams were working at “the same tempo” to ensure “that no one is still stranded.”

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that no one is still stranded

Families gathered in Kathmandu and demanded faster action. “We have a lot of hope,” said Reena Amatya Shrestha, whose brother is missing. “They say they are doing rescue. If the rescue is there, where’s the result? We need the result.”

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We have a lot of hope

Australian tunnel expert Arnold Dix, who is advising Nepali teams, called the operation unprecedented. Foreign experts from China, India and South Korea are also assisting. Drone pilot Adarsha Raj Bhusal described sinking into mud up to his waist after entering a flood-damaged hydropower tunnel. President Ram Chandra Paudel visited relief camps in Nuwakot, where residents had lost homes in what his office called unprecedented flooding.

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We are measured not only by the lives we save, but by the lives we refuse to abandon