Nepal flash floods: Mass burials planned as mortuaries run out of space
2 min readKathmanduAug 30, 2026 04:48 PM IST
Faced with an acute shortage of mortuary space following the devastating flash floods, the Nepal government Sunday decided to proceed with mass burials for unidentified victims.
The decision by the Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs comes a day after authorities buried 70 unclaimed bodies in the Chitwan district. Kathmandu has served as the main collection centre for bodies recovered downstream following severe flooding along the Trishuli River basin.
The floods, triggered by a major glacial collapse near the Tibet border, sent surging waters down the turbulent Bhote Koshi and its tributary, the Lende Khola, into the Trishuli River. The floods severely impacted the Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts. Official figures have confirmed 752 deaths, with around 2,500 people still missing.
“Our mortuary is holding more than four times its capacity, making it impossible to accommodate more bodies,” said a doctor at the Institute of Medicine in Kathmandu, the primary government facility with mortuary infrastructure.
The highest number of bodies has been recovered in the Chitwan district, around 150 km downstream from the hills where the Trishuli River widens and merges into the Narayani River. Around 250 bodies have been retrieved from Chitwan alone.
“We are proceeding with mass burials, but DNA samples will be preserved,” said a government official speaking on condition of anonymity. “If relatives come forward later to perform rites according to their religious and cultural traditions, the bodies can be exhumed and handed over.”
Meanwhile, search-and-rescue teams from India and China have arrived in Nepal to assist local authorities. Operations are focused on remote hydroelectric project sites in Rasuwa and Trishuli, where the sudden deluge trapped many workers. Rescuers have successfully evacuated around 400 people from affected zones so far.
