Collective Management of Flood Victims’ Bodies Begins After Bhote Koshi-Trishuli Floods to Facilitate Easier Identification by Relatives
Photo source, RSS
Due to difficulties in preserving the bodies of those who lost their lives in the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli river floods for an extended period, various districts have begun the collective burial of the bodies.
Dr. Sameer Kumar Adhikari, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene, stated that body management has commenced in accordance with national laws and international standards.
“I have heard that Chitwan and Eastern Nawalparasi have started this work,” he said. “Preparations are underway for similar body management in districts such as Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Tanahun, Kaski, and Gorkha.”
The Chitwan District Administration Office stated, “According to the decision made by the District Security Committee on Saturday, 13th Bhadra, the bodies received are being managed in a manner that prevents further decomposition, is respectful, safe, and legal, aiming to avoid potential infection risks.”
According to Ganesh Aryal, Chief District Officer of Chitwan, DNA samples of all bodies will be collected with identification codes and recorded. From Saturday onwards, the bodies will be managed at an open site in Devghat, Ward No. 1, Bharatpur Metropolitan City.
Correspondent Ishwor Joshi from Chitwan reported that similar excavations and preparations for body management are underway in Eastern Nawalparasi.
A statement issued by Nepal Police notes, “The same procedure for body management is being followed in other districts as well.”
Arrangements Made to Facilitate Relatives in Identifying Bodies
Photo source, BBC/Ishwor Joshi
Following the Cabinet meeting on Friday which revised the guidelines for managing unidentified and unclaimed bodies, the path for this collective body management has opened.
Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mahavir Pun, said the Cabinet decided on management procedures for safely preserving bodies for a prolonged period.
At a meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, he stated, “A decision has been made to collect DNA samples, package, and bury the bodies.”
According to Nepal Police, “The bodies are cleaned as needed, and photographs from front, back, right, left, and other angles showing identifying marks or features are taken and preserved.”
Photo source, RSS
Public health and emergency management specialist Damodar Adhikari reacted that the body management is being conducted according to international protocols.
“The rights to identify and conduct funeral rites according to religious traditions rest with the deceased and their relatives,” he said. “Photos, details, and DNA samples are collected and bodies kept safely in ‘dead body bags’ so that relatives can later find and claim the bodies.”
Police have stated that they are managing the bodies to assist identification on scientific and legal grounds should any family claim them in the future.
Management According to World Health Organization Standards
Photo source, RSS
Emergency management specialists noted that during the 2004 tsunami, the World Health Organization highlighted difficulties faced by relatives in locating bodies as a key lesson.
Dr. Sameer Kumar Adhikari, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene, confirmed that WHO recommendations are being effectively followed.
“Postmortem examinations and systematic collection of DNA samples are organized, ensuring bodies are buried collectively with recorded sequences,” he said. “The plan is to arrange burials in government, community, or forest areas so that bodies and remains can later be released to relatives who come searching.”
Nepal Police also stated, “Bodies are managed in a respectful and safe manner at designated locations, with code numbers placed underground and above ground as well. GPS location, photographs, maps, and detailed records of the burial site are maintained.”
Management includes preservation of photos, DNA samples, code numbers, descriptions, identification details, postmortem reports, body checklists, and records of management dates and locations.
Photo source, RSS
Officials report that many bodies carried downstream in the Rasuwa flood are hard to identify.
Such bodies transported by the river have reached Chitwan, Eastern, and Western Nawalparasi. Bodies found in the Narayani River have also appeared near the Indian border, with local media reporting the findings.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that 675 bodies from the Rasuwa flood have been identified, while more than 2,500 people remain missing.
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