Unidentified Bhotekoshi flood victims to be buried in Chitwan after DNA sampling

Chitwan, August 29, 2026 — Bodies recovered in Chitwan from people believed to have died in the devastating Bhotekoshi floods in Rasuwa will be buried after DNA samples are collected to preserve the possibility of identification in the future.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the District Security Committee held at the District Administration Office on Friday. Officials said the bodies had begun decomposing and there was not enough refrigerated space to preserve them safely.

Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal said 233 bodies had been recovered from the banks of the Narayani and Trishuli rivers in Chitwan. Of these, only four have been identified, while 229 remain at holding centers and various health facilities.

According to Aryal, some of the bodies have deteriorated significantly, making identification increasingly difficult. Health experts recommended burial because prolonged storage without adequate refrigeration could create public health risks, including the possibility of infections and disease outbreaks.

The District Administration Office said unidentified and unclaimed bodies will be buried respectfully and in accordance with the Management of Unidentified and Abandoned Bodies (First Amendment) Directive, 2083 BS.

Before burial, DNA samples will be collected from every body. Each sample will be assigned an individual code and preserved in records so that the bodies can potentially be identified and matched with relatives at a later stage.

The burial process will begin today at Devghat in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1.

The district administration has also expressed its apology to the families of the victims for any distress or inconvenience resulting from the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the disaster and the management of the recovered bodies.