Many families in Nepal have held symbolic funerals for relatives who remain missing after the deadly flash floods struck this South Asian nation, hoping to release their souls after they were presumed dead.
In Hindu tradition, cremation is a crucial final rite. For some families, performing the ceremony without the body has provided a sense of spiritual closure.
Meanwhile, Nepali authorities have buried recovered bodies in temporary graves until they can be identified. DNA samples are being stored, distinctive facial features photographed, and other identifying details recorded to help match remains with the missing and eventually return them to their families.
The August 26 flash flood was one of the deadliest disasters to hit Nepal in recent years. Over 1,200 people were killed and about 4,750 remain missing across Nepal and Tibet, after a massive wave of mud and debris destroyed towns, roads, bridges, and hydropower dams.
