Nepal holds a day of mourning after floods kill at least 1,300 people

Nepal commemorated a day of mourning on Monday to honor the victims of the Aug. 26 floods, which claimed at least 1,300 lives in the Himalayan nation and left over 5,000 people missing, including foreigners. Government offices lowered their flags to half-staff in remembrance. The mourning period in predominantly Hindu Nepal lasts 13 days, during which loved ones stay home and relatives pay their respects, culminating in a final ritual to pray for the departed souls.

Several families performed symbolic funerals, as cremation is a crucial final custom in Hindu tradition. While search efforts for the missing continued, some protesters criticized the government for not doing enough. In Kathmandu, relatives gathered outside government offices demanding faster search and rescue operations for hundreds of workers trapped at hydropower plants.