Nepal proposes reducing legal wait to declare missing persons dead

The government of Nepal has recommended an ordinance to significantly shorten the legal timeframe required to declare missing persons dead. Under current laws, individuals must be missing for 12 years before they can be legally declared deceased. The cabinet has proposed reducing this period to 45 days, a move prompted by the devastating Bhotekoshi floods.

On August 26, a rock-and-ice avalanche triggered a “Himalayan Tsunami” that killed over 1,400 people and left more than 6,000 unaccounted for. The disaster caused widespread destruction, affecting over 70,000 people and destroying critical infrastructure, including hydropower projects and major roads.

Shortening the waiting period is intended to help families of disaster victims access insurance, claim relief, and settle inheritance or property matters that are currently stalled by the long legal wait. The specific timeframe for all disaster-related missing persons will be finalized once the ordinance is authenticated and issued by the President.