KATHMANDU: The bodies of people who died in the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa and were recovered from Chitwan will be buried after DNA samples are collected to facilitate their identification in the future.

A meeting of the District Security Committee held at the District Administration Office on Saturday decided to bury the bodies as they have started decomposing and there is insufficient space in refrigeration facilities. Authorities said the decision was also taken to prevent potential health risks.

According to Chitwan Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal, 233 bodies have been recovered from the banks of the Narayani and Trishuli rivers in the district. Of these, only four have been identified so far, while 229 remain unidentified and are being kept at holding centers and various health institutions.

Aryal said the bodies have begun decomposing, with some deteriorating to the extent that identification is no longer possible through physical features.

Based on recommendations from health experts, the District Security Committee decided to proceed with the burial, warning that prolonged storage of decomposing bodies without adequate refrigeration could increase the risk of infection and disease outbreaks.

The district administration said the unidentified and unclaimed bodies will be buried in a respectful, safe and lawful manner in accordance with the Management of Unidentified and Abandoned Bodies (First Amendment) Directive, 2083.

Before burial, DNA samples will be collected from all the bodies and preserved under individual code numbers. Authorities said this will allow the bodies to be identified later if relatives come forward and provide matching DNA samples.

The bodies will be buried at Devghat in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1, with the process beginning Saturday.

The District Administration Office has expressed regret to the families of the victims for the inconvenience caused by the extraordinary circumstances and the difficult decision to bury the unidentified bodies.