Kathmandu, 2 Sep: Bodies of people killed in the floods that originated in Tibet, China, and wreaked havoc in Nepal’s hilly regions have been found as far as India. After the bodies of people who died in the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa were swept down the Narayani River into India, security agencies of Nepal and India have intensified search operations along the border areas.
The process of bringing back bodies found in Indian territory has also begun. Over the past three days, Indian security agencies have handed over nine bodies found at various locations in India to Nepal. According to the District Police Office, West Nawalparasi, four bodies were brought into Nepal on Bhadra 14, one on Bhadra 15, and four on Bhadra 16, making a total of nine bodies. The bodies recovered by Indian security agencies were brought to Nepal through the Area Police Office, Maheshpur, and have been kept at Prithvi Chandra Hospital in Parasi.
According to Madan Thapa, information officer at the District Police Office, search and surveillance operations have been intensified in coordination with security agencies in India’s Maharajganj and West Champaran districts.
Chief District Officer Dipak Raj Nepal said continuous coordination was being maintained with district magistrates (DMs) and security agencies in the Indian districts bordering Nepal. According to him, bodies found in Indian territory are brought to the border, where Nepalese authorities receive them and complete the necessary procedures for their management.
“As a large number of bodies have started being found in the Susta area, we have coordinated with the Indian side to conduct searches there as well,” he said. “Indian security agencies conduct searches on their side and bring the bodies to the border, while we receive them and manage the bodies.”
Bodies swept away by the floods have traveled nearly 100 kilometers from the Gandak barrage area along the flow of the Narayani River. The four bodies handed over to Nepal by Indian security agencies on Tuesday were found in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. Other bodies recovered earlier were found along riverbanks in Maharajganj district.
The District Administration Office said that 180 bodies had been recovered in West Nawalparasi alone as of Tuesday. DNA samples have been collected from 98 of them, and the bodies have been managed accordingly. Authorities are continuing to collect samples from the remaining bodies for identification.
Arrangements have been made to manage and preserve the recovered bodies in community forests in the Sunwal and Bardaghat areas for identification and proper management. However, the discovery of a large number of bodies has created additional challenges for authorities.
Delays in managing the bodies have caused a foul smell to spread at Prithvi Chandra Hospital in Parasi. As the smell has begun spreading from the hospital premises to nearby market areas, the collection of samples and management of the bodies have been accelerated, said Dr. Brij Kumar Yadav, medical superintendent of the hospital.
According to him, the condition of the bodies being kept at the hospital and the spreading foul smell have created a risk of disrupting regular hospital services. Additional personnel have been deployed for DNA sample collection and body management.
A large number of people went missing after floods struck Rasuwa and other northern areas, with bodies subsequently being carried downstream through the Trishuli and Narayani rivers. As bodies not found in Nepal may have been swept into India by the river currents, security agencies of both countries are conducting coordinated search operations in the border areas.
