Many Nepalis swept away in the floods aren't officially dead, leaving families in limbo

What the report says

BBC World News reports that many families in Nepal are struggling to prove the deaths of relatives swept away in last month’s floods along the China-Nepal border, leaving them unable to access compensation or settle legal matters. The story centers on communities in and around Betrawati, in Rasuwa district, where floodwaters destroyed homes, roads, schools and market areas and cut off access for days.

Under Nepal’s civil code, a missing person is generally presumed dead only after 12 years, and the article says that rule is creating delays for disaster victims. Families need death certificates to claim funeral support, bereavement payments, inheritance rights and other assistance. Local officials and legal experts quoted by the BBC say the law was not designed for large-scale disasters and is now causing an administrative backlog. The prime minister’s office and home ministry have said they are considering a solution, including possible legal changes.

The BBC says more than 5,000 people remain missing, while more than 1,400 bodies have been recovered. Identification is reportedly slow because Nepal has limited experience handling DNA at this scale. The government’s latest assessment also counts thousands of damaged or destroyed buildings and a reconstruction bill running into the billions of pounds. For families mourning the missing, the lack of official recognition is adding financial strain to grief, while some are holding symbolic Hindu funeral rituals in place of full last rites.