The Nepal floods question: When the Himalayas collapse, who gets warned?

Nepal observed a day of mourning on Monday to commemorate the lives lost in the August 26 floods, with flags lowered at government buildings and families concluding their mourning rituals. The floods resulted in over 1,300 deaths and left approximately 5,000 people missing, including foreigners, according to Nepal's disaster management agency.

In Hindu-majority Nepal, mourning periods typically span 13 days, during which close relatives stay indoors and relatives pay their respects. Special rituals are conducted on the final day to pray for the souls of the deceased. Some families who still have missing relatives performed symbolic funerals, as cremation is a significant part of Hindu tradition.

The government declared Monday as an official day of mourning, ordering flags at government offices to be flown at half-staff. However, search efforts for the missing continue, with some residents protesting the lack of progress. In Kathmandu, relatives gathered near the prime minister's and key ministries' offices, demanding a faster response to rescue hundreds of workers who were either swept away by the Bhotekhoshi River or buried under debris.

Sumana Shrestha, whose 55-year-old husband was a consulting geologist at the Trishuli hydropower plant, expressed frustration, stating that 13 days had passed without any rescue attempt on the site where her husband had perished. Mahesh Prasad Shrestha, whose brother Niraj, a 52-year-old engineer, worked at the same site, criticized the authorities for sending only a small helicopter from Nepal after the seventh day, suggesting that larger equipment should have been sourced from countries like China or India.

Candlelight vigils were held throughout Kathmandu to honor the victims of the flooding, while rescue teams from India, China, South Korea, and the United States continue their search in debris, damaged structures, and tunnels at the affected hydropower projects.