Buddhist, Catholic and Protestant bodies mobilize relief efforts following deadly Himalayan disaster An elderly survivor is transported to a safer place following flash flood and mudslide at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal. (Yonhap-Reuters) South Korea's major religious communities have expressed condolences and announced emergency relief plans after devastating floods and landslides struck the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday.The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul and the National Council of Churches in Korea all issued statements on Thursday and Friday, offering prayers for the dead and the swift rescue of survivors.The disaster, centered on the Rasuwa district in northern Nepal near the Tibetan border, destroyed roads, bridges and power infrastructure, hampering search-and-rescue operations.The Jogye Order, the nation's largest Buddhist sect, announced Thursday it would launch an emergency fundraising campaign through its Social Welfare Foundation and the Beautiful Togetherness organization."The compassionate reach of Korean Buddhism will tenderly embrace the wounded corners of Nepal," the order said in a statement. The order added it would seek a broader institutional role in coordinating relief efforts.Catholic Archbishop of Seoul Chung Soon-taick conveyed his condolences in a formal message, saying, "I express my deep consolation to all those who have suddenly lost their peaceful daily lives to this disaster and are struggling to protect their families and livelihoods."Chung said he would also send a letter of condolence to Father Silas Krishna Bogati, the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Nepal. The archdiocese's Hanmaeum Hanbom Movement and the Babo's Sharing Foundation said they were reviewing emergency relief support through Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church's global humanitarian network, and plan to coordinate with local Caritas chapters on the ground.The NCCK framed the disaster in terms of the global climate crisis."This disaster appears to have been caused by the climate crisis brought on by humanity itself, which makes their sacrifice all the more heartbreaking, and weighs on us with a heavy sense of responsibility," the council said in a letter addressed to the Nepal Council of Churches and Nepal NCC.The NCCK said it would also reflect on the church's shared responsibility in addressing climate-driven disasters. People stand next to damaged properties following flash floods and a mudslide in Trishuli, Nuwakot district, Nepal, Friday. (Yonhap-Retuers)