Nepal to preserve DNA of unidentified flood victims before burying them: Prime Minister

Asia

Authorities said some bodies being recovered have decomposed beyond recognition.

Members of the police carry victims of the Nepal-Tibet disaster at the Maithili Barrack, an army training centre, at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal, Aug 28, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar)

30 Aug 2026 11:04AM

KATHMANDU: Nepal will preserve DNA and other identifying information from victims whose bodies cannot be identified, before their remains are handled by the state, said Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Saturday (Aug 29).The assurance came as the death toll from the Nepal-Tibet disaster rose to more than 680. Nearly 3,000 people remain missing, including about 2,426 in Nepal and 546 in Tibet's Gyirong County, among them at least 540 foreign nationals.Triggered by a glacier collapse, a deadly, tsunami-like wall of water and debris swept through the Himalayan region, engulfing entire villages.