• August 31, 2026 10:08
  In one Nepal district, flood catastrophe is measured in bodies and burial trenches

  The devastating flash floods in the Himalayan region swept so many people downstream that authorities in one Nepalese district have begun burying bodies in temporary graves before they can be identified, prompting accusations that Hindu funeral traditions are being ignored.

  In south-central Nepal’s Chitwan district, the scale of the catastrophe was evident in some 250 bodies awaiting identification and the hastily dug trenches for their temporary burial following Wednesday’s catastrophic floods and mudslides.

  The bodies were carried hundreds of kilometers downstream by the Bhotekoshi River from the flood’s epicentre before being recovered in Chitwan.

  Authorities carried out a temporary burial of about 100 victims on Saturday, officials said, as forensic teams struggled to cope. A convoy of vehicles carrying bodies entered a lush, forested area as an excavator dug a wide trench in the red earth while officials and media looked on.

  -AP

• August 31, 2026 10:02
  Report: Nepal struggles to preserve recovered bodies as flood toll touches 788

  Four days after the flood in Nepal, the death toll in the disaster reached 788, and 2,502 people remained missing even as the preservation of recovered bodies became a challenge for the authorities, who continued with the rescue efforts.

  Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said Nepal urgently required freezer units and DNA-testing kits, warning that the bodies must be preserved and identified quickly to prevent decomposition and contain public-health risks. He said the government is “putting all our resources at disposal in relief and rescue operations.”

  Nepal struggles to preserve recovered bodies as flood toll touches 788

  Nepal faces challenges preserving flood victims' bodies as the death toll rises to 788 and rescue efforts continue.

• August 31, 2026 10:01
  Disaster exposes fragility of Hindu Kush Himalayas: U.N. climate chief

  The glacial collapse and flash flood near the Nepal-China border are a devastating reminder of how fragile mountain environments can be, particularly in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, UN climate chief Simon Stiell said on Sunday (August 30, 2026).

  He said scientists and local communities have been warning for years that the Hindu Kush Himalayas are at huge risk owing to climate change.

  Nepal-China flash flood disaster exposes fragility of Hindu Kush Himalayas: U.N. climate chief

  UN climate chief warns that the Nepal-China flash flood highlights the vulnerability of the Hindu Kush Himalayas to climate change.

• August 31, 2026 10:00
  Nepal PM says nation facing 'unimaginable' disaster

  Nepal is facing an “unimaginable and heartbreaking” disaster with authorities struggling to assess the full scale of devastating floods that have killed hundreds, Prime Minister Balendra Shah has said.

  “The devastating floods in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa have made it extremely difficult to collect a complete account of the loss of life, property, and infrastructure,” he added.

  “Although this task remains challenging due to adverse weather, difficult terrain, and ongoing risks, we are moving forward with determination to protect the lives of the citizens.”

  -AFP

Published – August 31, 2026 10:00 am IST