3 days ago
Nepal Begins Temporary Burials as Flood Toll Reaches 752
Severe floods in Nepal have killed many people and left thousands missing.
Officials have recovered 752 bodies in Nepal.
Some bodies cannot yet be identified or returned to families.
Workers took DNA samples before temporarily burying them.
They also carefully recorded where each body was buried.
Families may later use the DNA records to identify loved ones and retrieve the bodies.
Nepal says many bodies were starting to decompose.
The country is asking other nations for more than 1,000 freezer units to store the bodies safely.
Nepal has begun temporarily burying unidentified or unrecognizable flood victims after collecting DNA samples and recording burial details.
Nepal’s disaster ministry reported 752 bodies recovered and 2,502 people missing, including 589 foreigners.
Chinese state media reported 16 deaths and 546 missing in Tibet, bringing the broader reported totals to 768 dead and 3,048 missing.
Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said Nepal needs more than 1,000 freezer units to safely store bodies.
Officials said decomposition and public-health concerns made temporary burials necessary, while families may later exhume bodies for funeral rituals.
- Who
- Nepalese disaster authorities, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, medical teams, and families of the victims.
- What
- Nepal began temporary burials of recovered flood victims after taking DNA samples and recording the burial details.
- Where
- Nepal; Chinese state media also reported deaths and missing people in Tibet.
- When
- The announcement was made Sunday, after a disaster that occurred Wednesday.
- Why
- Bodies were decomposing, storage capacity was overwhelmed, and officials said burial was necessary to protect public health while allowing later identification and funeral rituals.
Key facts
- Bodies recovered in Nepal
- 752
- People missing in Nepal
- 2,502
- Foreigners missing in Nepal
- 589
- Additional deaths reported in Tibet
- 16
- Additional people missing in Tibet
- 546
- Broader reported death toll
- 768
- Broader reported missing total
- 3,048
- Freezer units requested
- More than 1,000
Quotes
Amrit Bahadur Rai
Nepal’s foreign secretary
“Following standard and accepted protocols, such as those of ICRC (Red Cross), the mortal remains of the dead, especially those not recognisable... have been temporarily buried.”
deccanchronicle.com
“Medical teams took DNA samples from every victim prior to the burial so that families can match-reference later, and would be allowed to exhume for necessary rituals.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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