안치소 꽉 차고 무더위에 주검 급속 부패…신원 확인 못한 채 집단 매장

Heavy rains and an intense landslide struck Nepal just a day after they began, causing rescue efforts to swiftly deteriorate. The government now faces the grim reality of having to mass-burial unidentified bodies due to the inability to verify their identities. Ganesh Aryal, the top administrative official in Nepal's Chitwan District, stated in an interview with Reuters on the 30th that "rapid deterioration of the rescue efforts has created a health risk."

The authorities are struggling to store the bodies in the heat and humidity, with many unidentified and left to decompose in mass graves. Over 200 bodies were dumped in a forest near Debgat in Chitwan, while another 100 are planned for the same day. Over 100 people, including officials and police, are assisting in the mass burial, documenting each body with photos and markers.

However, many decomposed bodies make identification difficult. The beautiful Chitwan region, known for its picturesque landscapes, now serves as a grim reminder of the tragedy. The local Chitwan National Hospital in Barta Pur, which is approximately 50 km away from the disaster site, has become overwhelmed with the stench of decomposing bodies.

Around 200 police officers and hospital staff are on standby to deal with the influx of bodies, with 50 being the maximum limit the facility can handle. With flooding lingering, bodies have been submerged in water, accelerating decomposition. Forensic experts report that half of the bodies identified have no identifiable faces. Over 804 people have died in Nepal and 3,048 in China due to the disaster.

The Nepal Disaster Agency reported 788 deaths and 2,502 missing, while Chinese authorities stated 16 deaths and 546 missing in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Survivors are enduring ongoing suffering as they wait for aid. Many residents in northern Nepal's Lalitpur and surrounding rural areas remain isolated, lacking essential supplies.

In Amadakhin, a rural municipality, a resident reported to BBC via telephone that there is no electricity, no escape route, and no aid arrived. He described living on a day's worth of food and using solar panels sparingly to charge his phone.