Skip linksSkip to Content
Photos nepal buries flood victims in mass grave - Latest News & Updates
Live
Navigation menu
  • News
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • US & Canada
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
  • Middle East
  • Explained
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Video
    • Originals
    • Features
    • Economy
    • Human Rights
    • Climate Crisis
    • Investigations
    • Interactives
    • In Pictures
    • Science & Technology
    • Podcasts
    • Travel
    • Sponsored Content
play
Live

In Pictures

Gallery|Floods

Photos: Nepal begins burying flood victims in mass graves

The Hindu rituals of death, cremation, prayer and final farewell have been overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster.

Save

Share

facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink
Nepal mass grave
Bodies of victims of the deadly flash floods and mudslides lie in a pit at the Devghat mass burial site in Chitwan. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
By Reuters
Published On 1 Sep 20261 Sep 2026

Nepal has begun burying the victims of the devastating flood that hit the mountainous country last week in mass graves after taking DNA samples.

Nepal has begun burying victims of last week’s devastating flood in mass graves after taking DNA samples.

Nepalese authorities said on Tuesday that 1,003 bodies had been recovered, with 3,916 people still listed as missing, following the massive surge of freezing water, rocks and debris that tore down Himalayan valleys on August 26.

The deadly wave was triggered by a high-altitude glacial collapse, and then carved a path of destruction through the country.

At a mass burial ground in Chitwan district, the Hindu rituals of death, cremation, prayer and final farewell have been overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, as authorities bury unidentified bodies after DNA sampling because there are too many to store or identify individually.

Police using a drone to search for survivors said on Tuesday they had found 24 bodies in a single house in Nuwakot district. At least 17 bodies have been recovered from rivers far downstream in India.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has described the catastrophe as “unimaginable and heartbreaking”.

Nepal mass grave
A police officer stands on a vehicle next to a stretcher at the Devghat site. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Advertisement
Nepal mass grave
Police officers transport a body to the burial site. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Nepal mass grave
At least 17 bodies have been recovered from rivers far downstream in India. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Nepal mass grave
Nepalese authorities said 1,003 bodies have been recovered so far. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Nepal mass grave
Police officers cover the pit at the Devghat mass burial site. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Nepal mass grave
Police officers carry an empty stretcher after transferring a body. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Advertisement
Nepal mass grave
A healthcare worker holds his colleague's head during a break after handling the bodies of victims. [Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters]

Related

  • Nepal FM speaks to Al Jazeera on devastating floods

    Nepal FM speaks to Al Jazeera on devastating floods

    Published On 31 Aug 202631 Aug 2026
    Video Duration 01 minutes 31 seconds play-arrow01:31
  • ‘Nothing is usable’: Nepal residents return to flood-ravaged homes

    Residents in Nepal are returning to flood-ravaged homes, sifting through mud and debris to salvage whatever they can.

    Published On 31 Aug 202631 Aug 2026
    House damaged by floods in Nepal
    Video Duration 01 minutes 29 seconds play-arrow01:29
  • Death toll from devastating floods in Nepal and China surpasses 1,000

    Rescue efforts continue to focus on hydropower sites, where hundreds of workers are believed to be trapped.

    Published On 1 Sep 20261 Sep 2026
    A woman walks among the ruins of flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot
  • Nepal buries unidentified flood victims as families await answers

    Nepal authorities are burying unidentified flood victims in temporary graves.

    Published On 1 Sep 20261 Sep 2026
    Video Duration 01 minutes 23 seconds play-arrow01:23

More from Gallery

  • Photos: Student protest in Albania prompts violent clashes with police

    Student protest in Albania spark violent clashes with police forces
    This gallery article has 9 imagescamera9
  • Photos: French protests over school conditions swell

    France student protest
    This gallery article has 8 imagescamera8
  • Photos: Protests over voter lists escalate in India’s capital

    Photos: Protests over voter lists escalate in India's capital
    This gallery article has 8 imagescamera8
  • Photos: Gaza mothers endure endless lines as famine fears persist

    Gaza mothers endure endless lines as famine fears persist
    This gallery article has 11 imagescamera11

Most popular

  • Saudi coalition hits key Houthi sites; Aramco building struck in Dhahran

    Yemen
  • Houthis strike Aramco hours after Saudi-led coalition hits Sanaa oil site

    Saudi Aramco, Aramcoís Dhahran Research and Development Center
  • Iran war updates: Houthis fire missiles at Saudi Arabia

    A plume of smoke rises during a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa
  • US ambassador to Greece Kimberley Guilfoyle resigns amid misconduct claims

    FILE - Kimberly Guilfoyle speaks as President Donald Trump listens at a reception celebrating Greek Independence Day in the East Room of the White House, March 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

  • About

    • About Us
    • Code of Ethics
    • Terms and Conditions
    • EU/EEA Regulatory Notice
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Sitemap
    • Work for us
  • Connect

    • Contact Us
    • User Accounts Help
    • Advertise with us
    • Stay Connected
    • Newsletters
    • Channel Finder
    • TV Schedule
    • Podcasts
    • Submit a Tip
    • Paid Partner Content
  • Our Channels

    • Al Jazeera Arabic
    • Al Jazeera English
    • Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
    • Al Jazeera Mubasher
    • Al Jazeera Documentary
    • Al Jazeera Balkans
    • AJ+
  • Our Network

    • Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
    • Al Jazeera Media Institute
    • Learn Arabic
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights
    • Al Jazeera Forum
    • Al Jazeera Hotel Partners

Follow Al Jazeera English:

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram-colored-outline
  • rss
  • bluesky
  • tiktok-colored-outline
Al Jazeera Media Network logo
© 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network