Nepal observes day of mourning after floods kill more than 1,300

Nepal is observing a day of mourning for more than 1,300 people killed by flooding along the Bhote-Koshi River in Rasuwa district on Aug. 26. National flags were lowered at government buildings and diplomatic missions abroad, while people gathered at places of worship to pray for the safety of their relatives.

The disaster left 32,000 families without shelter and destroyed about 7,500 homes. It also severely damaged vital infrastructure in central Nepal. Nearly 5,000 people remain on the missing list, including 589 foreigners.

The flooding began after an ice and rock avalanche sharply raised the Bhote-Koshi River's water level on the morning of Aug. 26. Mud and debris destroyed several settlements, roads and hydropower facilities. The flow also swept away a border checkpoint in Gyirong county in China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

Nepal has estimated the damage at $2.56 billion. Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry previously said, citing preliminary Chinese information, that no Kyrgyz citizens were among the dead or missing in Tibet and Nepal.