Nepal has declared September 7 a national day of mourning following devastating floods and landslides triggered by a massive glacier collapse near the border with China.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing international media reports, the government is observing the day to honor the memories of more than 1,340 victims on the 13th day since the disaster struck.
The catastrophe began on August 26, when a significant collapse of glacial rock in the high Himalayas triggered severe landslides in the Rasuwa region and surrounding areas. Approximately 5,000 people, including 589 foreign nationals, remain missing. The disaster has caused extensive damage to infrastructure across northern and central Nepal, with search and rescue operations ongoing in the most severely affected areas. At least 32,000 families have been evacuated, and approximately 7,500 homes have been completely destroyed.
The impact of the disaster has extended across the border into China. Authorities in China have deployed more than 2,500 rescue workers to the autonomous region in the country's southwest. Reports indicate that 43 people have died and 519 remain missing on the Chinese side of the border.
Nepal, a nation deeply integrated into the Himalayan mountain range, is frequently susceptible to natural disasters, including earthquakes and landslides, due to its complex topography. The scale of this recent event highlights the ongoing regional challenges posed by climate-related geological instability in high-altitude environments.
