Date: September 7, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
Nepal has observed a national day of mourning for victims of catastrophic floods that devastated parts of the country and neighbouring Tibet, as the death toll climbed above 1,300 and thousands of people remained unaccounted for.
Government offices across Nepal lowered their national flags to half-staff on Monday as families and communities observed mourning rituals for those killed in the disaster. The floods struck on August 26 following a devastating glacier and mountain collapse, sending enormous volumes of water, mud, rocks and debris through valleys and communities. Nepal's disaster management authorities have reported that more than 1,300 people have died across Nepal and Tibet, while thousands remain missing.
Monday marked the 13th day since the disaster, a significant period in predominantly Hindu Nepal, where traditional mourning practices commonly continue for 13 days. Families normally remain at home during the mourning period while relatives and friends visit to pay their respects. On the final day, religious rituals are performed to honour those who have died and pray for their souls.
For families whose relatives remain missing, however, the mourning process has been especially painful. Some have conducted symbolic funerals even without recovering the bodies of their loved ones, allowing them to complete important religious rites despite the continuing uncertainty surrounding the fate of those still missing.
The disaster has left thousands of families waiting for answers. Nepalese authorities have reported that more than 5,000 people remain missing, including foreign nationals. A significant number of those unaccounted for were workers employed at hydropower facilities that were overwhelmed by the floodwaters and debris.
Rescue operations have increasingly focused on 12 hydropower projects in some of the worst-hit areas. Authorities estimate that around 900 workers associated with the facilities are missing, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels or underground structures. The difficult terrain, collapsed buildings, blocked access routes and huge quantities of mud and debris have made the rescue operation extremely challenging.
The disaster has also generated frustration among relatives who believe rescue operations should have begun more quickly and should have been supported with heavier equipment.
In Kathmandu, families of missing hydropower workers gathered near government offices on Monday to demand that authorities intensify search operations. Some relatives said they had received little information about efforts to locate their loved ones despite nearly two weeks having passed since the floods.
One woman, Sumana Shrestha, joined other family members in Kathmandu while holding a photograph of her husband, a 55-year-old consulting geologist who disappeared after going to work at a hydropower project. His workplace was buried under debris during the disaster, and his family said they had received no confirmation of his fate.
Other relatives have raised concerns about the availability of heavy machinery needed to clear collapsed structures and reach underground areas. The mountainous terrain has made it difficult to transport equipment to some of the affected locations, while damaged roads and infrastructure have further slowed the response.
Despite the difficulties, rescuers have achieved several breakthroughs that have offered families a measure of hope. Two Nepalese hydropower workers were rescued from a facility on Friday, while a Chinese national was pulled alive from another affected site on Saturday. The rescues have encouraged authorities and international teams to continue searching areas where survivors may still be trapped.
Specialized rescue teams from India, China, South Korea and the United States have joined Nepalese authorities in searching through damaged structures, tunnels and piles of debris. Teams are using specialized equipment and techniques as they attempt to reach areas that conventional rescue operations cannot easily access.
Australian tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, who has experience with major underground rescue operations, described the situation as an unprecedented challenge because rescuers are dealing with multiple potentially trapped groups across different hydropower facilities at the same time. He said the fact that rescue teams have already recovered survivors demonstrates that areas believed to be inaccessible may still contain people who can be saved.
The scale of the disaster has placed enormous pressure on Nepal's emergency-response system. The destruction has affected homes, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities and other critical infrastructure, leaving some communities isolated and complicating efforts to deliver assistance.
The floods have also had consequences beyond the immediate loss of life. Hydropower is a critical part of Nepal's economy and energy system, and damage to multiple facilities could affect electricity generation and economic activity. The destruction of transportation infrastructure has also complicated movement between affected communities and surrounding regions.
The disaster has raised broader concerns about Nepal's vulnerability to extreme weather and rapidly changing conditions in the Himalayan region. Scientists and environmental experts have increasingly warned that the effects of climate change are contributing to changes in glaciers and increasing risks associated with glacial lakes, landslides and extreme flooding.
Nepal is particularly vulnerable because of its mountainous geography and dependence on rivers and hydropower. Communities located along river valleys can face devastating consequences when large amounts of water and debris move rapidly through narrow terrain.
As the country mourns, authorities continue to face the difficult task of balancing rescue operations with the need to begin recovery and reconstruction. Families of missing people, however, continue to insist that search efforts should remain a priority for as long as there is a possibility of finding survivors.
Candlelight vigils and memorial gatherings have been held in Kathmandu and other areas as people remember those who died. The scenes have reflected the scale of the tragedy, with families mourning loved ones while others continue to wait for information about relatives whose fate remains unknown.
The government's decision to lower flags across official buildings is intended to provide a national moment of remembrance while the country continues its search-and-rescue mission. But for many families, the national mourning period cannot bring closure because they still do not know whether their missing relatives are dead or alive.
The continuing discovery of survivors has strengthened those hopes. A woman was rescued alive from the remains of her collapsed home after surviving for days in a small pocket of air surrounded by water, mud and debris, demonstrating the extraordinary circumstances in which some people have managed to survive.
Nepal's tragedy has also drawn international attention because of the number of foreign nationals believed to be among the missing. Search teams are therefore working not only to locate Nepalese citizens but also to establish the whereabouts of people from other countries who were in the affected areas when the disaster struck.
With more than 1,300 people already confirmed or reported dead and thousands still missing, the disaster has become one of Nepal's most devastating natural catastrophes in recent years. The final death toll could rise significantly as search teams gain access to areas that remain buried or inaccessible.
For now, the country's attention remains divided between mourning and hope: mourning for the thousands who have been lost and hope that the continuing rescue operations will uncover more survivors.
As Nepal observes its national day of mourning, the lowering of the national flag serves as a symbol of collective grief. But across the disaster zone, rescuers continue digging through mud, rubble and collapsed tunnels, determined to find those who may still be alive and to provide families with the answers they have been waiting for since the floods struck on August 26.