KATHMANDU: Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday for victims of devastating glacial floods, as families of missing hydropower workers continued to hope that more survivors could be found trapped inside tunnels.
The August 26 glacial and mountain collapse near the China-Nepal border has killed at least 1,399 people, while more than 5,500 remain missing, including around 800 foreigners.
Flags flew at half-mast as hundreds gathered in Kathmandu for candlelight vigils. The mourning ceremonies were held on the 13th day after the disaster, in accordance with Hindu traditions.
Hundreds of hydropower workers remain missing, many feared trapped inside underground tunnels. However, the rescue of three workers has raised hopes that others could still be alive. Two Nepali workers were rescued on Friday, followed by a Chinese national on Saturday.
Nepal Army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet said rescue efforts were continuing to ensure no survivors were left behind.
Families of the missing, however, urged authorities to speed up the search.
Australian tunnel rescue expert Arnold Dix, who is advising Nepali teams, described the operation as an unprecedented challenge involving several possible rescue missions at different locations.
Experts from China, India and South Korea are also assisting local rescue teams.
The disaster swept away entire communities, destroyed roads and buried homes under mud and debris.
There have also been remarkable stories of survival. A 64-year-old woman, Chandika Shrestha, was rescued alive from her mud-covered home on Saturday after her family had already held a symbolic funeral, believing she had died.
President Ram Chandra Paudel visited relief camps and assured survivors that search and rescue operations would continue.
With mortuaries overwhelmed, authorities have buried hundreds of unidentified bodies in mass graves after collecting DNA samples for future identification.
In Nepal, 1,356 bodies have been recovered and nearly 5,000 people remain missing. In neighbouring China, authorities have reported 43 deaths and 519 missing.
The disaster has renewed concerns about the growing risks facing Himalayan communities as climate change accelerates glacial melting. Nepal expects reconstruction costs to run into billions of dollars.
Volunteers across the country have continued collecting blankets, clothes and other supplies as the nation struggles to recover from one of its worst natural disasters. – AFP
