Nepal begins mass burials of unidentified flood victims as families seek missing

CHITWAN, Nepal – Nepal’s scenic Chitwan district, known for its forests and rivers, has become the site of mass burials for hundreds of unidentified victims whose bodies were swept away by the torrent that devastated the Himalayan region days ago.In the plains, nearly 200 kilometres from the flood-ravaged valleys of Rasuwa where the disaster struck on Wednesday (Aug 26), authorities have dug hundreds of graves in Chitwan’s Devghat forest.Until recently, the forest trails were a popular spot for morning walks. They now serve as a temporary burial ground for bodies too badly decomposed to be identified.”We were left with no other option and had to take this step. Our concern was the risk to public health posed by the rapid decomposition of the bodies,” said Ganesh Aryal, chief district officer of Baratpur, Chitwan.Authorities buried 96 unidentified bodies in the forest on Saturday and planned to bury more than 100 others on Sunday, as recovery teams continue to retrieve victims from rivers and piles of debris.