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News / Nation & World

Thousands pray for Nepal quake victims

Nepalese mull next steps after 13-day mourning period

The Columbian
Published: May 7, 2015, 5:00pm

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Thousands of Nepalese offered prayers and flowers at home and in temples Thursday in a Hindu ritual marking the end of a 13-day mourning period for those killed in the country’s massive earthquake.

Families and friends also published condolence messages with photographs of victims in local newspapers.

Thousands of mourners gathered amid piles of stones, mud, bricks and wooden beams that once formed centuries-old temples, palaces and structures toppled in the April 25 quake, which killed more than 7,800 people and injured another 15,000. The main ceremony was held in the ruins of Kastamandap, a temple for which the capital, Kathmandu, was named.

Lawmakers in Nepal’s constituent assembly also stood for a minute of silence in memory of the dead.

In the customary mourning period, close family members stay at home, do not touch outsiders and refrain from eating salt. No entertainment is allowed.

About 500 people gathered at Kathmandu’s historic center, Basantapur Durbar Square, where temples were reduced to rubble, to offer prayers.

In the evening, 2,000 mourners carrying candles gathered near Dharahara tower, which collapsed in the earthquake. With a 213-step spiral staircase, it once offered a panoramic view of the capital.

The central bank announced Thursday that people whose houses were damaged in the quake can obtain loans at a 2 percent interest rate. The average commercial loan rate is about 10 percent.

More than a thousand engineers are checking damaged houses in the capital and advising people about whether they are safe. It is still unclear how many houses were damaged, and how many are repairable.

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