Overflowing morgues strain Nepal's flood response as bodies wash downstream

A sudden flash flood swept through the 200 km Bhote Koshi-Trishuli-Narayani river corridor in central and southern Nepal, overwhelming existing morgues and causing them to overflow. The home ministry, represented by joint spokesperson Rama Acharya Subedi, coordinated the relocation of remains and the establishment of temporary mortuary sites in repurposed government buildings and community halls. In Chitwan, bordering the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, 221 bodies have been recovered, leading officials to convert an unused Bharatpur government building into a centre that can hold roughly 250 bodies, equipped with air-conditioners and dry ice.

Additional pressure has spread to districts such as Dhading, Gorkha, Nawalparasi East and Kaski, where bodies are being moved to forensic facilities in Pokhara and Kathmandu. Indian security forces, including the Sashastra Seema Bal, have also retrieved victims in the adjoining districts of Maharajganj and Kushinagar. The situation remains challenging as many recovered bodies are already decomposing, complicating identification and final disposition.