Kathmandu, Aug 30: Authorities in Chitwan are continuing to recover and manage bodies swept downstream following the devastating Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa, with search operations extending along the Trishuli and Narayani rivers.
According to the District Police Office, Chitwan, 260 bodies have been recovered in the district so far. Of these, 100 have been managed at a forest area in Devghat after forensic procedures were initiated.
Chandrabushan Yadav, information officer at the district police office, said DNA samples are being collected and preserved before unidentified bodies are managed.
The authorities have so far identified nine of the recovered bodies and handed them over to their families. Those identified include eight men and one girl.
Of the 259 bodies whose details have been recorded, 60 are women, 107 are men, six are boys and four are girls. The remaining 82 have been classified as unidentified remains.
The recovery operation remains challenging as bodies and human remains continue to be found along riverbanks and downstream areas. Police said the search has been expanded to locations where strong currents may have carried victims.
The Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been deployed jointly to search the river corridors, recover bodies and assist with their identification and management.
Officials are maintaining records and preserving forensic samples in the hope that more victims can be identified as relatives come forward to provide information and DNA samples.
The large number of bodies reaching Chitwan highlights the scale of the disaster, which swept through Rasuwa and other districts before sending floodwaters downstream through the Trishuli and Narayani river systems.
Authorities have urged families searching for missing relatives to contact designated police facilities and hospitals, where information and identification procedures are being coordinated.
Search teams remain active along the riverbanks as authorities continue efforts to recover victims, identify them and ensure their remains are respectfully handed over to families whenever possible.
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