KATHMANDU: Of the 1,344 bodies recovered following the Bhotekoshi flood, 1,030 have been safely buried, according to Nepal Police.
Police said 222 women, 355 men and 453 unidentified bodies have been buried so far. DNA samples and other necessary information have been collected to facilitate the identification of the unidentified bodies.
Central Police Spokesperson Abhinarayan Kafle said DNA samples have been collected from 1,260 deceased individuals and 1,001 of their relatives as part of the identification process.
According to Kafle, after collecting DNA samples and other necessary details, the bodies were buried in accordance with the Management of Unidentified and Abandoned Bodies (First Amendment) Guidelines, 2083.
Each body has been assigned a unique identification or code number, which has been recorded both with the burial site and in official records. Police have also documented the GPS location of each burial site, photographs, maps and other details related to the recovery and burial of the bodies.
Records containing photographs, DNA samples, identification numbers, identifying information, autopsy reports, documentation of the handover or recovery process, and the date and location of burial have been preserved for each body.
Kafle said that if family members or relatives later come forward to claim an unidentified body, authorities will use available scientific and legal evidence to establish the identity before handing over the remains to the family.
Details of 1,270 unidentified bodies have also been uploaded to the Nepal Police website.
As of Thursday morning, 1,344 bodies of people who died in the floods had been recovered from different districts. Nepal Police has mobilized 7,912 personnel in flood-affected areas for search and rescue operations, relief distribution, body recovery and management, among other duties.
Police said search operations are continuing for 4,886 people reported missing in the floods.
Authorities are also working with various agencies and local residents to move people living in flood-prone areas to safer locations, conduct search and rescue operations and clear roads blocked by floods and landslides.
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