Nepal flood victims: 229 unidentified bodies buried

Authorities in Chitwan, Nepal, have begun the mass burial of 229 unidentified bodies recovered following a devastating flood in Rasuwa. The decision, made on Saturday, cites urgent public health risks posed by the decomposition of the victims.

Of the 233 bodies recovered from the disaster so far, only four have been identified. The remaining 229, along with human remains, had decomposed to a point where visual identification was impossible. Health experts warned that further decomposition could lead to infections and outbreaks.

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DNA samples will be collected from all the bodies before burial, and records will be maintained using identification numbers, according to the decision.

In an emergency measure, the District Security Committee decided to proceed with the burial under the Unidentified and Unclaimed Bodies Management Directive. DNA samples will be collected from each body before interment, and records will be kept using unique identification numbers. This will allow for potential exhumation and identification should relatives come forward.

The burial site is an open area in Devghat, Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Police Inspector Anil Thapa confirmed that each body has a unique identification tag to facilitate future identification.

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each of the bodies has a unique identification number with a tag in a steel plate so that relatives can exhume them once DNA matches.