Nepal mourns flash flood victims on national day Monday

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Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday for victims of a devastating flash flood, with flags flying at half-mast across government offices and missions abroad. The commemoration marked the final day of a traditional 13-day Hindu mourning period, nearly two weeks after the disaster struck a Himalayan valley.

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Commemorations were scaled back as rescue operations continued for thousands still missing. Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel toured areas devastated by the floods on Monday, an aide confirmed.

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At least 1,287 people are confirmed dead following the flash flood, which is believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse. The torrent swept through villages along the border between Nepal and Tibet, leaving a trail of destruction.

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More than 5,000 people remain missing in Nepal, with 5,083 specifically unaccounted for. Phanindra Paudel of the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) stated that no government programmes were organised, emphasizing the ongoing search and rescue efforts in affected regions.

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Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet affirmed that rescue efforts were proceeding "with the same tempo we had on day one." Basnet detailed a three-pronged approach focusing on ground, air, and tunnel searches, aiming to ensure no one remains stranded.

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Among the few places where rescuers still hold hope of finding survivors are tunnels that form part of the region's hydropower stations. Hundreds of workers are among those missing, many believed to be trapped within these subterranean structures.

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Arnold Dix, an Australian tunnel rescue expert advising Nepali teams, described the complex operation in an update on X. He noted it involves "multiple potential rescues, unfolding at the same time, in different places, each with its own dangers, uncertainties and lives that may still be saved."

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Four people have been rescued in recent days, with three found at hydropower stations or within tunnels. On Saturday, the Armed Police Force pulled a 64-year-old Nepali woman from her partially buried house in the Nuwakot district.

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She was discovered alive on the fourth floor of the building, more than 10 days after a wall of ice, rock, and mud engulfed her home. She was subsequently airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment.

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On Sunday, rescue workers in China recovered 12 bodies on the Nepal-Tibet border. They utilized excavators, shovels, and ground-penetrating radar at the site to locate the victims.

", "gist": "Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday, flying flags at half-mast for 1,287 victims of a flash flood that left over 5,000 people missing. Rescue teams continue to search for survivors, particularly in hydropower tunnels, nearly two weeks after the disaster believed to be triggered by a glacial coll }