Ten bodies recovered from Gandak River in UP after Nepal floods

Ten bodies have been recovered from the Gandak river in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts over the past two days following the flash floods in Nepal, The Indian Express reported on Saturday.

The Gandak, known as the Narayani in Nepal, originates in Nepal and flows into India before eventually joining the Ganga, Scroll.in reported.

The identities of those whose bodies were recovered have not yet been established.

According to officials cited by The Indian Express, all 10 victims were adults and are believed to be Nepali nationals. Their bodies have been placed in mortuaries in Maharajganj and Kushinagar and will be kept there for 72 hours. Maharajganj Additional District Magistrate Prashant Kumar said that if no relatives or other claimants come forward during that period, authorities will proceed according to government guidelines.

The flooding also carried vehicles and various other objects downstream, including household belongings, gas cylinders, drums, furniture, logs and other debris, which have subsequently been found along the riverbanks.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the flash floods and mudslides in Nepal rose to 616 on Saturday, while more than 2,400 people remained missing, according to the country’s disaster management authority. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said that more than 4,400 people had been rescued.

The flooding struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district along the country’s northern border with China on Wednesday. The mountainous region is around 120 km north of Kathmandu. Residents reportedly received little warning because there had been no rainfall in the immediate area before the sudden deluge.

Maharajganj and Kushinagar were placed on high alert on Thursday as authorities monitored the Gandak and other rivers entering Uttar Pradesh from Nepal.

However, an official cited by The Indian Express said the immediate threat of flooding had eased as water levels in the rivers began to recede.