Nepal conducts mass burials following devastating Bhotekoshi floods

Following the devastating Bhotekoshi flood that began on August 26, Nepal is conducting mass burials to manage an overwhelming number of deceased victims. In Kathmandu, security forces wearing personal protective equipment have begun burying bodies in the Gorkarna forest area to address critical morgue shortages. Authorities are using markers and tags to allow for future exhumation and identification by families.

Bharatpur Hospital, which serves Chitwan and 22 surrounding districts, has finally resumed regular medical services. The facility had been forced to divert resources to manage the influx of flood victims. In Chitwan alone, 321 bodies have been recovered, the highest number in any affected district. To alleviate pressure, 199 unidentified bodies were buried over a two-day period after forensic teams collected DNA samples and identifying details.

Nationwide, authorities have recovered 1,056 bodies, while 4,606 people remain missing. Due to a national morgue capacity of approximately 350 bodies, officials have implemented protocols for unidentified and unclaimed remains to manage the crisis.