Nepal looting: 29 held for stealing Rs 93 lakh from bank safe swept away by floods

In the aftermath of a devastating flood that swept through parts of Nepal, causing widespread destruction and loss of life, 29 individuals have been apprehended for allegedly stealing Rs 93 lakh from a bank safe that was carried away by the floodwaters. The vault, which had been washed away by the floods, was found and taken downstream to Dhading, where the suspects were seen attempting to extract money from the damaged safe.

A joint patrol team comprising the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police discovered the suspects at the scene, leading to their arrest. Authorities recovered Rs 9,268,505 in cash from the group and are now conducting further investigations and legal proceedings against the 29 suspects, who are currently in custody at the District Police Office in Dhading.

Adding to the list of crimes committed during the flood, two men have been apprehended for allegedly stealing gold earrings from the body of a woman who was swept away by the flood in the Narayani River. The incident was captured on video and subsequently went viral on social media, leading to the arrest of the two men. The video shows the men using the woman's hair and wooden planks to pull her body out of the water, after which they allegedly removed the earrings and placed them aside.

Several witnesses are also visible in the video, with some using their phones to record the scene. Nepal is currently in the midst of a large-scale search-and-rescue operation following the floods and landslides that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, resulting in the loss of over 600 lives and leaving more than 2,000 people unaccounted for.

The estimated cost of rebuilding the country after the floods is projected to be between $4-$5 billion, equivalent to nearly a tenth of Nepal's economy. Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle informed Reuters of the estimated cost, stating that it is significantly less than the amount needed for the country's reconstruction following the 2015 earthquake.