Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday, 13 days after the devastating Rasuwa flash floods.
Nepal has declared September 7 a national day of mourning to honour victims of the devastating floods that swept through Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and other areas along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, according to the PTI report. Meanwhile, the Nepal government has declared Tuesday, September 8, a public holiday to commemorate Gen Z Martyrs’ Day, marking a year since the youth-led protests that reshaped the country’s political landscape.
The protests intensified after security forces opened fire near the Parliament building, killing 72 people, including children. A caretaker administration was subsequently installed, paving the way for fresh parliamentary elections on March 5 this year.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the national flag would be flown at half-mast at government offices across Nepal as well as at Nepali diplomatic missions abroad. The floods caused widespread loss of life and severe damage to homes and vital infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hydropower projects and government buildings. The government has deployed the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and other agencies to carry out search, rescue, relief and recovery operations. Demonstrators also took to the streets over alleged corruption and what they described as the lavish lifestyles of the children of powerful politicians and government officials. The escalating unrest eventually prompted then-Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign. The political fallout resulted in the dissolution of Parliament and the collapse of the coalition government led by the CPN-UML and Nepali Congress.
The protests erupted in Kathmandu on the same day last year after the government banned several social media platforms.