13 days after deadly flash floods, Nepal observes national mourning in memory of victims

Kathmandu: A national day of mourning is being observed on Monday in Nepal in honour of those who lost their lives in the devastating flood that struck the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district on August 26. A Cabinet meeting held on September 3 decided to observe a national day of mourning on Monday in honour of those who lost their lives in the deadly floods, which occurred 13 days ago. The national flag was flown at half-mast at government offices across Nepal, as well as at Nepali embassies and diplomatic missions abroad. According to the Nepal Police, as many as 1,353 bodies of people who died in the floods had been recovered by Sunday evening. According to the latest details, the recovered bodies include 530 men and 328 women, while 495 bodies were recovered in parts and remain unidentified. Police said 3,992 people remain out of contact, including 595 foreign nationals. Police said 1,044 of the recovered bodies have been safely buried, while the identification and management of the remaining bodies are underway. Meanwhile, Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah has urged elderly people affected by the floods not to feel that they are alone, assuring them that the state and government stand firmly with them. Issuing a message on social media on Monday, Prime Minister Shah said, “You are not alone. The state is with you, and the government is with you.” In an emotional statement, Prime Minister Shah noted that during the floods, some elderly parents had to flee to higher ground while clutching their grandchildren with trembling hands, without even caring about their own lives. They were forced to endure such difficult circumstances in the later years of their lives, he said. “Even legs that could barely move two steps without the support of a walking stick found extraordinary strength at that moment to save their children,” he added. Security agencies have continued search and rescue operations for people who remain out of contact, particularly at hydropower projects along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors. According to the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), a representative body of private-sector power developers in Nepal, as many as 919 people employed at 11 hydropower projects remained out of contact as of Sunday evening. There have been a few successful rescues of people alive from some hydropower projects, including two Nepali nationals from the 60-MW Upper Trishuli 3A project on September 4 and a Chinese national from the 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 project on September 5.