Two men have been arrested in Nepal on suspicion of stealing jewelry from a woman who died in recent flash floods that devastated the region. The suspects, identified as Madan Gurung, 25, and Umesh Chaudhary, 38, were taken into custody on Thursday after video footage of the alleged incident circulated widely.
The woman was swept away by the Narayani River during flash floods on Wednesday, which were triggered by a glacier collapse. The catastrophic floods have resulted in more than 540 deaths in Nepal.
According to video released by Nepal police, the men reportedly used wooden logs to bring the woman's body to the shore before one of them took her earrings. A witness shared the video on social media, leading to the suspects' arrest at a bus station in Bharatpur, Nepal's Chitwan police chief Rameshwar Paudel told local outlet Khabarhub. Paudel warned that such acts would not be tolerated.
Rescue efforts are ongoing for those still missing. In Nepal, at least 547 people have been confirmed dead, with over 460 injured and 977 unaccounted for. In the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, three fatalities have been reported, and 558 people remain missing.
Concerns had been raised about potential secondary floods due to a barrier lake formed by debris from the initial disaster. However, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the flood risks were assessed as manageable, potentially diminishing fears of further inundation.