Two Arrested in Nepal for Stealing Earrings from Flood Victim's Body

Nepalese police have arrested two men accused of a deeply disturbing act: stealing gold earrings from the body of a flood victim. The incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, ignited public fury and prompted an immediate investigation.

The video shows the two men using long sticks to manipulate a body floating in the water. One man appears to prop up the body's head with sticks while the other pulls at the victim's hair to remove the earrings. Onlookers are visible in the background, witnessing the scene without intervening.

Authorities identified the body as one that had been washed downstream into the Narayani River following a flash flood. The flood itself was triggered by a massive landslide in the Himalayan region on the border of Nepal and China on August 26. That larger disaster, believed to be caused by a glacial collapse, resulted in at least 362 deaths and over 1,200 people missing.

Following the rapid spread of the video and the ensuing public outcry, Chitwan police launched a swift investigation, leading to the apprehension of the two suspects on theft charges. Police are continuing to investigate the exact circumstances surrounding the crime. The arrests highlight a grim intersection of natural disaster and criminal opportunism, drawing condemnation from many.