Kathmandu (AFP)
Nepal inaugurated on Saturday a replica of the famous Dharahara Tower, reduced to ruins during the terrible earthquake of 2015, on the eve of the sixth commemoration of the earthquake.
This nine-story tower, dating back to the 19th century, was one of Kathmandu's major tourist attractions, on Durbar Square.
Like many other monuments, it collapsed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people.
Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli inaugurated the new white tower, 84 meters high, built next to the rubble of the original tower, raining flowers from the balcony on the top floor.
“Dharahara is connected with our emotions, our pride, our past and our history,” he said.
Two underground floors were also built to house a museum dedicated to the earthquake.
The original tower, which was 50 meters high and offered splendid views of the capital, had already been rebuilt for the first time after an earthquake in 1934.
More than fifty people were killed when it fell in 2015.
The new tower is part of a gigantic national reconstruction program.
Political brawls and bureaucracy hampered it and many buildings, including those intended for health or government institutions and schools, remain unfinished.
According to the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), 93% of private buildings have been reconstructed.
About 493 of the 920 historic sites damaged by the earthquake have been restored, including 288 with work in progress, according to government data.
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