Nepal authorities have decided to bury 229 unidentified and unclaimed bodies recovered from the devastating floods in the Bhote Koshi River in the southern Chitwan district. The decision was taken due to the deteriorating condition of the bodies and concerns over the risk of infection. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, a total of 626 bodies recovered from the floods had been collected as of Saturday morning.

As the number of bodies continued to rise, Chitwan district faced difficulties in preventing the remains from decomposing due to a lack of adequate space and facilities at local hospitals. The bodies had been kept under temporary arrangements. Health experts warned that the increasing decomposition and foul smell from the bodies could raise the risk of infection and potentially contribute to the spread of an epidemic.

Following the warning, the District Security Committee, Chitwan, decided to bury all unidentified and unclaimed bodies in an open area in Devghat of Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Authorities said DNA samples would be collected from all the bodies before burial. Records will also be maintained using identification or reference numbers so that the bodies can be identified in the future, if possible.