Nepal begins burials as flood death toll rises to 752

Nepal has begun temporary burials for victims of recent catastrophic flooding as the confirmed death toll rises to 752, with more than 2,500 people still missing. The disaster has left communities in several districts struggling to manage the aftermath, including the hard-hit Nuwakot district, where flash floods have devastated homes and infrastructure.

Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai announced that authorities are conducting burials under established humanitarian protocols, including DNA sampling, to preserve remains until families can claim them for traditional Hindu cremation. Rai emphasized the urgent need for international assistance, stating that Nepal requires “more than a thousand” freezer units to safely store decomposing bodies and prevent public health risks. “Many dead bodies have been collected, and they have started decomposing. To preserve public health, we had to bury the decomposing bodies,” he explained.

The disaster has affected both locals and foreign nationals. Nepal’s disaster ministry reported 589 foreigners among those missing, while Chinese state media confirmed 16 deaths and 546 missing in Tibet following the same weather system. The overall regional death toll now stands at 768, with 3,048 unaccounted for across Nepal and neighboring areas.

Authorities are following guidelines from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), ensuring all buried remains are documented and accessible for future identification. “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,” Rai stated. Medical teams have taken DNA samples from every victim prior to burial, allowing families to match remains later.

The floods, which struck on August 26, have overwhelmed Nepal’s disaster response capacity. With thousands still missing and conditions worsening, Nepal is seeking urgent global support to manage the humanitarian and public health crisis.

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