As Nepal identifies those killed in the floods, questions grow over China's reporting

KATHMANDU, September 7 - Nepal marked a day of mourning on Monday for the victims of devastating glacial floods that swept through the country. Families of missing hydropower workers, feared trapped in tunnels, prayed for the rescue team's success in finding them alive. The August 26 glacial and mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border claimed at least 1,398 lives, with over 5,500 still missing, including around 800 foreigners.

Flags were flown at half-mast and candlelight vigils were planned as the nation observed the 13th day after the tragedy, in accordance with Hindu mourning rituals. Hundreds of hydropower workers form part of the missing, but the rescue of three workers, two Nepalis and a Chinese man, has given hope that more might be alive. Rescue efforts continued at a steady pace, with the Nepal Army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet assuring that no one would be left stranded.

Entire communities were swept away, leaving roads destroyed and homes demolished. Families gathered in Kathmandu expressed hope that the government would move faster, questioning the effectiveness of rescue operations. International experts from China, India, and South Korea are aiding the Nepali rescue teams. The operation's complexity was highlighted by Arnold Dix, an Australian tunnel rescue expert, describing it as something he had never encountered before.

Rescuers found 1,355 bodies, leaving 4,996 people missing, according to the disaster agency. The economic pressure on Nepal, already under strain due to the floods, is significant, with the cost of reconstruction estimated at $158 million, according to a preliminary UN assessment.