Authorities collect DNA samples and document remains before temporary burial as more than 2,500 people remain missing

Nepal has begun the temporary burial of some of the hundreds of bodies recovered following devastating floods, as authorities struggle to preserve and identify victims amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

The decision comes after the country’s disaster authorities confirmed that the death toll from the floods had climbed to 752, while 2,502 people remain missing.

Authorities said the bodies being buried have first undergone careful documentation, including the collection of DNA samples, photographs and other identifying information. The process is intended to ensure that relatives can identify and reclaim the remains when they are located.

The temporary burials are particularly significant in Nepal, a predominantly Hindu country where cremation is traditionally the preferred form of funeral. Officials explained that the burials are not intended to replace customary funeral rites but to preserve the remains until families can be identified and arrangements made.

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Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said the government had taken steps to properly document every body being buried, stressing that identification remains a priority.

Rai also appealed for greater international assistance, saying Nepal urgently needs more than 1,000 freezer units to store recovered bodies under appropriate conditions.

The shortage of facilities has become a major challenge for authorities as rescue teams continue recovering bodies from areas devastated by floods and associated disasters.

The scale of the death toll and number of missing people has heightened concerns about the humanitarian consequences of the disaster, with families continuing to search for relatives whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Authorities are expected to continue rescue and recovery operations while working to identify the dead and reunite remains with their families.

For many families, however, the process remains painfully uncertain, as the high number of missing persons means that the full human cost of the disaster may not yet be known.