Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Nepal Families Perform Last Rites as Flood Bodies Remain Unidentified
Severe floods in Nepal swept away many people and their bodies.
Some families still cannot find or identify their relatives.
On Wednesday, families used sacred grass called kush to make effigies and perform last rites.
Police and rescue workers also buried bodies that could not be identified.
Some burials took place near Kathmandu after morgues became full.
Each body was marked so it could potentially be recovered later.
Officials saved DNA samples to compare with relatives’ DNA.
Chitwan received 321 bodies, creating an urgent need for temporary storage facilities.
Families in Nepal performed last rites for missing relatives on Wednesday, one week after devastating flash floods.
They used kush, a sacred grass, to create effigies for the rites.
Police and rescue teams buried unidentified bodies near a river outside Kathmandu after carrying them from Dhunche.
Authorities began mass burials in Kathmandu after morgues ran out of space, with bodies marked for possible later exhumation.
Nepal’s morgues can store about 350 bodies, while Chitwan has recovered 321 bodies and established temporary facilities.
- Who
- Families of missing people, Nepal Police, rescue teams, security forces, hospitals and local authorities.
- What
- Families performed last rites using kush effigies, while unidentified and unclaimed flood victims were buried for temporary management.
- When
- The family rites took place on Wednesday, about one week after the flash floods; mass burial began on Tuesday.
- Where
- The rites and burials took place in Nepal, including Trishuli, Dhunche, areas near Kathmandu, and Gorkarna forest.
- Why
- Floodwaters swept away victims and bodies downstream, while morgues ran out of space and many remains could not yet be identified.
- Storage capacity
- Morgues across Nepal can store about 350 bodies.
- Bodies recovered in Chitwan
- Chitwan collected 321 bodies, the highest number reported among the districts mentioned.
- Identification process
- Tags and DNA samples were retained so bodies could later be matched with families.
- Burial site
- Security forces buried bodies in the Gorkarna forest area outside Kathmandu.
- Management rules
- Authorities are managing remains under the Unidentified and Unclaimed Bodies Management Guidelines, 2021.
- Temporary facilities
- Authorities set up temporary facilities in Chitwan after its morgues filled.