Community holds vigil for Nepal-Tibet flood victims

A vigil has been held in memory of people killed, injured or missing following flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border.

Members of the Nepalese community in Corby, Northamptonshire, joined North Northamptonshire councillors and members of the Royal British Legion outside the Corby Cube on Tuesday.

The flash flood, believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, swept through a Himalayan valley on 26 August, killing more than 1,000 people.

"Despite being more than 4,500 miles away from home, we felt a profound duty to send our collective prayers, strength and solidarity to the victims and front-line volunteers back home," said Jivan Gurung, secretary of the Corby Nepalese Community.

At least 1,114 people have died in Nepal and nearly 4,000 more are missing, according to Nepal's disaster agency. On the Tibetan side, the death toll stands at 16, and more than 500 people are unaccounted for, Chinese state media reports.

Steve O'Brien, the Labour mayor of Corby who attended the vigil, said: "Anyone watching the tragedy unfold on TV couldn't fail to be moved and shocked by what they were witnessing.

"The Nepalese community in Corby came together to stand with each other and mark the enormity of these events. Quiet reflection and prayer were at the heart of the vigil.

"The vigil was a clear show of that solidarity, ensuring that at this dreadful time, Corby stands with our Nepalese friends."

Nearly 12,000 people have been rescued in Nepal since the flash flood hit, the country's disaster management agency added.

A number of the missing - potentially in the hundreds - are labourers working in a vast network of tunnels at hydropower sites along the Trishuli River. Engineers have been pumping air into these tunnels as part of a huge rescue operation.

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