Nepal Observes National Mourning on 13th Day of Flash Flood Tragedy

Nepal on Monday observed a national day of mourning on the 13th day of the Rasuwa flash flood disaster, honouring more than 1,340 people who lost their lives in one of the country's deadliest natural disasters in recent history.

Nearly 5,000 people remain missing, including 589 foreign nationals, after the flash floods struck Rasuwa, bordering China, and adjoining districts on August 26 following an ice-rock avalanche in the high Himalayas, causing widespread loss of life and extensive damage to infrastructure in northern and central Nepal.

The



government declared September 7 a national day of mourning to honour the victims of the catastrophic floods that swept through Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and other areas along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems. The mourning is being observed on the 13th day after the disaster, in keeping with the traditional Hindu practice of marking the thirteenth day following a death. 

The day is regarded in many Hindu communities as an important period in the mourning period, when rituals are performed to honour the deceased and mark the conclusion of the formal period of mourning.