CHITWAN FLOOD VICTIMS’ BODIES BURIED IN FOREST AFTER DNA COLLECTION, FAMILIES TO RECEIVE REMAINS AFTER IDENTIFICATION

Bodies of flood victims washed downstream have been recovered from a forested area in Chitwan, Nepal.

 

Army rangers carry a woman on a stretcher after she was airlifted from a site affected by flash floods and a mudslide, at the Maithili Barrack, an army training center, in Trishuli, Nuwakot district, Nepal, August 31, 2026. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

CHITWAN, NEPAL

The bodies of flood victims washed downstream in Nepal’s Chitwan have been buried in a forested area after DNA samples were collected as part of the identification process. The remains will be handed over to the respective families once their identities are confirmed.

The bodies were among those swept downstream by floodwaters in Chitwan. As the identities of the victims could not be immediately established, authorities proceeded with DNA collection before the remains were buried.

The DNA collection is expected to help establish the identities of the victims and ensure that the bodies are eventually handed over to the correct families. The process is particularly important in cases where victims cannot be identified immediately and relatives are waiting for confirmation.

After the DNA samples were collected, the bodies were buried in a forest area. The burial is being carried out while the identification process continues. Once the identities are confirmed, the bodies are expected to be recovered and handed over to the families for the final rites.

The development has added another difficult stage to the aftermath of the flooding in Chitwan, where the movement of floodwaters resulted in bodies being carried downstream. The distance between the location where a person may have been caught in the floods and where a body is eventually recovered can make immediate identification difficult.

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In such circumstances, DNA testing can play an important role in confirming identities. The samples collected from the bodies can be used to establish a match with available family or other identification records. The confirmation process is expected to determine which families the recovered remains belong to.

For the families of people missing after the floods, identification of the recovered bodies is a crucial step. Until an identity is confirmed, families may remain uncertain about the fate of their relatives. The formal identification process is therefore necessary before the remains can be released.

The authorities are expected to follow the identification procedure before handing over the bodies. This is intended to ensure that each victim is correctly identified and that the remains are returned to the appropriate family.

The fact that the bodies were washed downstream also underlines the challenges involved in recovering victims after flooding. Once floodwaters move through rivers and other waterways, bodies can be carried away from the original location. This can make it difficult to establish where victims were last seen and where their remains may eventually be found.

In Chitwan, the recovered bodies have now entered the identification stage following the collection of DNA samples. Their burial in the forest is temporary in the sense that the remains are expected to be handed over once identification confirmation is available.

The process also provides authorities with a way to maintain the identification procedure while the bodies are not immediately being released to families. DNA sampling before burial ensures that the necessary material for identification has been collected.

For relatives awaiting confirmation, the next stage will depend on the outcome of the identification process. Once a match is confirmed, the relevant family will be able to receive the body. Until then, the remains will remain under the process established by the authorities.

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The recovery of flood victims is often one of the most sensitive aspects of disaster response. While the immediate focus during flooding is on saving lives and moving people to safety, the recovery phase also involves locating missing people, recovering bodies and establishing the identities of those who have died.

In cases where visual identification is not sufficient, DNA testing can provide an additional method of confirmation. This is particularly relevant when bodies have been moved by floodwaters and recovered away from the location of the incident.

The Chitwan case involves the same challenge, with the bodies having been washed downstream before they were recovered. The collection of DNA samples is therefore central to the effort to establish their identities.

Authorities will be able to proceed with the handover of the remains after the identification confirmation is completed. The families will then be able to take custody of the bodies and conduct the final rites according to their respective customs and practices.

The sequence of recovery, DNA collection, burial and eventual handover reflects the careful process required when victims cannot be immediately identified. Each stage is intended to ensure that the remains are properly accounted for and ultimately returned to the correct families.

For families waiting for information, confirmation of identity will provide clarity after the uncertainty caused by the floods. The handover of the bodies will also allow them to complete the final rites for their loved ones.

The bodies currently buried in the forest are therefore not the end of the identification process. Rather, the DNA samples collected from the victims will form the basis for the next step. Once identification is confirmed, the authorities are expected to facilitate the release and handover of the remains to the respective families.

The situation in Chitwan highlights one of the difficult consequences of flooding: victims can be separated from their families and communities as floodwaters carry them downstream. Recovering the bodies is only the first step. Establishing their identities and ensuring their return to their families is equally important.

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As the identification process continues, families will await confirmation before the remains are handed over. The authorities’ focus now remains on completing the identification procedure for the bodies recovered downstream and ensuring that each victim is ultimately reunited with their family for the final farewell.