Authorities are temporarily burying unidentified victims after taking DNA samples, as thousands remain missing following catastrophic floods and landslides

Nepal began temporarily burying unidentified flood victims on Sunday, August 30, 2026, after authorities recorded DNA samples and identification details from the remains, as the Nepal flood toll climbed to 752 and 2,502 people remained missing.

Also read: Nepal floods: Where is the Noah’s Ark?

Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said the emergency burials had become necessary because authorities were overwhelmed by the number of bodies recovered from the devastating floods and landslides that swept through communities near Nepal’s border with China.

The decision carries particular weight in predominantly Hindu Nepal, where the dead are traditionally cremated on funeral pyres.

Officials said the burials were temporary and designed to preserve the remains until families could identify and reclaim them for appropriate funeral rites.

“Following standard and accepted protocols, such as those of ICRC (Red Cross), the mortal remains of the dead, especially those not recognisable, have been temporarily buried,” Rai told reporters.

Medical teams collected DNA samples from the victims before burial, while officials recorded identifying information to allow relatives to establish matches in the future.

“Medical teams took DNA samples from every victim prior to the burial so that families can match-reference later, and would be allowed to exhume for necessary rituals,” Rai said.

The grim measure followed a rapid rise in the number of bodies recovered from the disaster zone.

Nepal’s disaster authorities said on Sunday that 752 bodies had been recovered, while 2,502 people remained unaccounted for.

The missing list includes 589 foreign nationals, highlighting the international dimension of a disaster that struck routes used by tourists, pilgrims and workers.

Across the border in China’s Tibet region, Chinese state media reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people, bringing the combined figures from Nepal and Tibet to 768 dead and 3,048 missing.

The numbers remain fluid as rescue teams continue searching devastated communities, hydropower facilities and difficult mountainous terrain.

Authorities are also facing a growing humanitarian and forensic challenge as bodies recovered from rivers and debris begin to decompose.

Nepal has appealed to other countries for freezer units and DNA testing equipment to help manage the unprecedented number of remains.

“We have requested different countries for freezers; we will need more than a thousand,” Rai said.

“Many dead bodies have been collected, and they have started decomposing. To preserve public health, we had to bury the decomposing bodies,” he added.

The temporary burials have nevertheless generated concern because of their departure from traditional Hindu funeral practices.

Authorities have maintained that the measure is intended as a temporary public-health response and that families will be allowed to exhume the remains once identification is established. (AP News)

The disaster began on Wednesday after a powerful torrent of water, ice, rock and debris swept through parts of the Himalayan region, destroying roads, bridges, homes and infrastructure.

Rescue efforts have been complicated by damaged roads, unstable terrain, continuing rain and the threat of further flooding.

A new lake formed after a landslide near the Nepal-Tibet border has also added to concerns over the safety of rescue personnel. (Channels Television)

More than 8,000 people have been rescued in Nepal, according to the latest reports, while hundreds of hydropower workers remain among those unaccounted for.

Some workers are believed to be trapped inside tunnels at damaged hydropower projects, prompting specialist rescue efforts involving teams from neighbouring countries. (Channels Television)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has estimated that about 93,000 people could be affected by the disaster, adding urgency to the search for survivors and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

International support has begun to arrive, with several countries pledging financial assistance, relief supplies and specialist expertise.

Nepal has also requested equipment for forensic identification, communications and body preservation as authorities struggle to cope with the scale of the catastrophe. (Channels Television)

The tragedy has also renewed attention on the vulnerability of the Himalayan region to sudden glacial and flood-related disasters.

Scientists and officials have linked the event to a major glacial collapse and the sudden release of enormous quantities of water and debris, although investigations into the precise chain of events remain ongoing. (Channels Television)

For families still waiting for news, the temporary burial of unidentified victims offers both a painful reality and a measure of hope.

The DNA records could eventually give families the certainty they need to locate loved ones and perform the funeral rites demanded by tradition.

Also read: Deadly Nepal-China floods leave 633 dead, 3,000 missing

For now, however, rescue teams remain focused on the living while authorities confront the increasingly grim task of recovering, preserving and identifying those who did not survive.