Seven bodies have been recovered from rivers in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts amid the aftermath of devastating floods in Nepal.
Officials suspect the bodies may have been swept downstream from Nepal, while efforts are under way to establish the identities of those recovered.
Hundreds of bodies have also been recovered along Nepal's Trishuli and Narayani river systems, overwhelming morgues in some affected districts.
Indian authorities have recovered seven bodies from rivers flowing in from Nepal, with officials suspecting that they may belong to people killed in the devastating flash floods that have claimed hundreds of lives and left more than 1,400 people missing, AFP reported on Friday.
The bodies were found in rivers across Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts, both located close to the Nepal border.
Seven Bodies Recovered From UP Rivers
ANI had reported earlier that three bodies recovered from Gandak River in Maharajganj's Nichlaul area following a rise in the wake of flash floods in Nepal. The bodies are suspected to have been swept up here from the flash flood-affected regions of Nepal.
SDRF Constable Brijmohan told ANI, "...We have recovered three bodies so far and handed them over to the administration..."
The discovery of bodies downstream in India underlines the sheer strength of the floodwaters that swept across parts of Nepal earlier this week.
According to the report, four unidentified bodies were found in Maharajganj district on Thursday. District Magistrate Gaurav Singh Sogarwal was quoted as saying, as per News 18, “We think they have been swept into India from Nepal following flash floods there."
The bodies were recovered from rivers in the district, which shares a border with Nepal’s flood-affected Chitwan region. Officials were trying to identify those whose bodies had been recovered.
How Could Nepal Flood Victims Reach India?
The Nepal floods affected rivers that flow southwards into India. The Narayani/Gandak river system is particularly relevant because water from Nepal enters Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Bodies of people swept away by the devastating Bhote Koshi floods in Nepal are being recovered far downstream, overwhelming morgues and forcing authorities to set up temporary facilities to store and identify the remains, according to a media report cited by PTI.
Bodies recovered from Rasuwa and Nuwakot have been found as far downstream as Chitwan, Tanahun, Nawalparasi, Gorkha and other districts, with morgues in several areas running out of space, The Kathmandu Post reported.
The Bhote Koshi flash floods struck Nepal on Wednesday, sweeping through Rasuwa and other districts before surging downstream along the Trishuli and Narayani river systems, causing widespread loss of life and damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.
In Chitwan, where the number of recovered bodies has exceeded hospital capacity, authorities are preparing a temporary body storage centre in Bharatpur, the report said.
An unused building of the Industrial Enterprise Development Institute on Vidhyut Road in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-10 will be converted into the facility, following a decision taken at a meeting chaired by Chitwan Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal on Thursday, it said.
Early Thursday, 137 bodies were recovered along the Chitwan stretch of the Trishuli and Narayani rivers, between Phishling and Golaghat, with recoveries continuing.
