Nepal observed a national day of mourning Monday for those killed in the country’s devastating glacial flooding.
Meanwhile, relatives of missing hydropower plant workers are holding on to hope that their loved ones, trapped in a deep tunnel, might still be found alive.
At least 1,398 people have died in the catastrophic flooding triggered by a glacier and landslide collapse on the China-Nepal border on Aug. 26. More than 5,500 people remain missing, including nearly 800 foreign nationals.
National flags were flown at half-mast across the country to mark the day of mourning. Candlelight vigils were also held at various locations later in the day to remember the dead.
The programs were held as part of mourning observed on the 13th day after death, according to Hindu religious custom.
Hundreds of hydropower plant workers are among the missing. However, three workers were recently rescued alive from a deep tunnel.
Two Nepali workers were rescued Friday, and a Chinese national was rescued Saturday. Their rescue has raised hopes that other missing workers might also be found alive.
Nepal army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet told AFP on Monday that the rescue operation is continuing at the same pace as on the first day.
He added, “Our goal is to conduct search and rescue in three ways — by land, by air and inside the tunnels. We want to make sure that if anyone is still trapped anywhere, they can be rescued.”
Entire communities have been completely wiped out by the flooding and landslides. Roads have been destroyed and countless homes have collapsed.
However, family members of several missing workers gathered Monday in the capital, Kathmandu, and alleged that the government needs to speed up the rescue operation.
Rina Amatya Shrestha, who is searching for her missing brother, said, “We have a lot of hope.”
“They say the rescue operation is ongoing. If the rescue operation is really ongoing, then where are the results? We want to see results,” she said.
Arnold Dix, the Australian tunnel-rescue expert advising the Nepali rescue teams, said this rescue operation is one of the most difficult situations he has ever seen.
In a social media post, he said, “We are facing a situation like nothing we have seen before.”