Relatives hold cremations without bodies for Nepal’s missing flood victims

What the report says

Relatives in Nepal are conducting symbolic cremation rituals for people still missing after catastrophic floods and a mudslide in late August, as the scale of the disaster has made formal identification difficult. Al Jazeera reported from Kathmandu that families gathered near Pashupatinath Temple and the Bagmati River to perform Hindu funeral rites using effigies made from sacred grass when bodies had not been recovered.

The article says the flooding killed more than 1,200 people and left almost 5,000 missing, with many families now losing hope that their loved ones will be found alive. Among those described were the family of Dinesh Achhami, a 41-year-old driver missing in the hard-hit Rasuwa district, and the relatives of pilgrims Tham Bahadur Pun and Chausara Pun, whose bodies were not found. Families have also given DNA samples in case remains can later be matched.

Authorities told Al Jazeera that they are temporarily burying unidentified bodies because decomposition and the volume of remains make long-term storage difficult. Police said 1,344 bodies had been recovered, 1,030 had been buried temporarily, and 96 had been returned to families after identification. The report notes that fewer than one in 10 recovered bodies have been formally identified. The situation has prompted criticism from some Nepalese over the handling of the dead, while priests quoted in the piece said the symbolic rites are religiously permissible but deeply tragic.