KATHMANDU: The government is planning to fly the Nepali nationals who lost their lives abroad and got stranded due to the flight restrictions imposed as a means to curbing the spreading coronavirus pandemic.

The directives for the facilitation of the Nepalis stranded abroad due to the unusual situation induced by COVID-19, hail that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labour should arrange for the bringing of the dead bodies lying stray abroad quite long.

The new directives meant for the facilitation of the people stranded abroad assign the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security to arrange to dispatch the dead bodies back to the relatives once they are brought back to Kathmandu.

Nepal is in a lockdown for more than two and a half months. So far, 238 people have lost their lives in the Gulf countries due to various health hazards, including coronavirus pandemic.

As many as 58 Nepalis have lost their lives in Saudi Arabia till June 5. As many as 52 people have lost their lives in Malaysia.

Likewise, 55 Nepalis have lost their lives in the UAE. Although the relatives of the deceased formerly consented for the last rituals abroad, now they all have wished to bring those bodies back.

Country-wise details of the dead bodies

According to the Foreign Employment Board, out of 52 dead bodies lying in Malaysia, the relatives of 5 have agreed to let the last rituals take place there, hence, 47 dead bodies are to be brought back to Nepal.

Similarly, out of 58 persons who died in Saudi Arabia, 9 lost their lives due to the novel coronavirus. As the families and relatives of the 13 deceased have agreed to let the last rituals take place in Saudi Arabia, only 45 bodies are to be brought back from this labor destination.

Out of 37 dead in Qatar, 4 had died of coronavirus pandemic. The relatives have agreed to let 10 of them buried in Qatar. Thus, the government has to arrange to bring 27 dead bodies from there.

Most of the relatives of the dead people in the UAE have consented for the last rituals in the same locality. Out of the 55 dead during the lockdown, the relatives of 42 of them have agreed to carry out the rituals in the UAE itself.

That’s why the arrangement to bring 13 bodies suffice in UAE’s case. Nine persons died of coronavirus pandemic in the UAE.

Seven Nepalis have lost their lives in Bahrain to date. Out of them, the relatives of 2 deceased have permitted for the last rituals in the labor destinations, hence, the government has to fetch 5 dead bodies from there.

Likewise, 5 in South Korea and 1 in Oman have also lost their lives in the meantime.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, 23 Nepalis have lost their lives in the Gulf countries so far.

According to the Foreign Employment Board, 238 people have lost their lives during this period out of which the families of 85 deceased have consented the last rituals in the respective destination countries.

Out of 238 dead during this period, we have to arrange to bring 153 bodies back to Nepal,” Rajan Prasad Shrestha, the Executive Director of the Board told Khabarhub. “We will ensure that all 85 are buried in the destination countries as per the wishes of the family members and relatives.”

In the meantime, Suman Ghimire, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Labor informed that the government has planned to bring the bodies while rescuing those stranded in their labor destination countries.

“We have prepared the action plan. However, the final date to bring them all is not yet fixed,” Spokesperson Ghimire said, “We got the first dead body on Friday.”

Board to dispatch the dead bodies back to their respective homes

The Foreign Employment Board has made necessary preparations required to dispatch the people who lost their lives in their labor destinations.

“We have made every preparation required to ensure that the deceased ones are sent back to their home towns, once the dead bodies arrive here,” Rajan Shrestha, the Executive Director of the Board told Khabarhub.

He added that the Board had been arranging the dispatch of the dead body earlier as well, and now they are more prepared.

As the relatives of the deceased will not be able to come to Kathmandu to receive the dead bodies, the board has decided to send the dead bodies up to their homes.

According to Executive Director Shrestha, the Board has arranged to send dead bodies to 20 districts in a day.

He further assured that the people involved in the hearse will be given enough health materials for their safety.