Nepal observes National Day of Mourning after Deadly Flood
The government continued its search efforts despite four miraculous rescues over the past few days.
The home ministry announced that government offices and missions in the 30 million-strong Hindu majority country would fly their national flags at half mast to mark the 13th after death. According to the home ministry, the day is marked by rituals and food offering.
On?August 26th, a huge wall of mud, rock and debris, caused by a glacier breaking, fell into a river along the Himalayan border between Nepal and China. It washed away villages, towns, and roads, and covered them in mud.
More than 5,500 people are still missing.
Search teams have recently rescued four people in Nepal, including a Chinese citizen who was pulled out of a tunnel Saturday. Two hydropower workers were rescued on Friday from another tunnel and a Nepali lady was pulled from her buried home on Saturday.
Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet stated that rescue operations in Nepal are focused on the hydropower stations located in this region where authorities believe survivors may still be present.
Chinese officials announced on Sunday that they had recovered 12 more bodies in the ongoing search for hundreds of people still missing in Tibet.
No Ceremonies During Ongoing Search
The government is not planning any other?events' for the final day in mourning because search teams are still searching for survivors.
Phanindra.Paudel, of the National Emergency Operation Centre. (NEOC), said that there are no programmes organized by the government as rescue and.search operations continue in flood-hit areas.
His aide confirmed that President Ram Chandra Paudel was "touristing flood-hit areas" on Monday to assess the damage caused by this disaster.
In a post on social media, Balendra Shah, the Prime Minister, said that security personnel at Nuwakot district jail, one of two districts most affected by the floods, had saved 923 inmates from drowning when they moved them to an elevated building before the flood waters reached their building.
Shah stated that authorities also arrested 50 prisoners who broke the prison walls and gates when flooding began and fled within 100 meters.
(source: Reuters)
