Nepalese officials are preparing for mass burials of flood victims, as the death toll from recent flash floods has surpassed 794, with more than 2,400 people still missing. Only 20 of the deceased have been identified so far, overwhelming hospital mortuaries in Kathmandu and surrounding areas, which are keeping bodies in makeshift shelters.
The scale of the disaster has strained the country's limited infrastructure, with most hospitals lacking adequate mortuary facilities. Bodies recovered from areas along the Nepal-Tibet border, some found nearly 100 miles from the flood's origin or in rivers in neighboring India, have decomposed significantly due to prolonged exposure to water and mud, making identification nearly impossible.
To prevent a public health crisis, the Nepalese government has ordered that all unidentified and unclaimed bodies be buried in mass graves after DNA samples are taken. Officials aim to identify individuals later, acknowledging the logistical challenges. "We do not have the infrastructure to keep these bodies until they are identified by their loved ones," one official stated. "The scale of the disaster is so big that we cannot cope with the number of dead we are finding, and we have not been able to identify the majority of them."
Among the missing are 48 British nationals, and China has reported an additional 15 missing in Tibet, though it is unclear if these figures overlap. Heartbreaking scenes have unfolded at hospitals, where relatives search for missing loved ones. At the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, around 60 bodies are in the morgue, which has a capacity of only 50. Doctors are treating about 30 survivors, including a five-year-old girl named Manisha, who was rescued after being trapped under rubble for nearly four days.
Posters of missing individuals, featuring photographs and contact details, line hospital walls. Relatives are also directed to a Nepal police website displaying disturbing images of decomposed faces. Many families face emotional turmoil, as the traditional Hindu and Buddhist practice of cremation is being superseded by mass burials, which conflicts with cultural beliefs about spiritual peace.
Similar scenes are occurring at other medical facilities, such as the Kathmandu Trauma Centre, which is treating approximately 50 rescued individuals and holding 20 bodies in its small morgue. Hospital spokesmen have emphasized the difficult necessity of proceeding with burials due to the overwhelming circumstances. "It's not easy for us because this goes against Nepali traditions, but these are desperate times for our nation," said one official.