Chitwan, Aug 31: As many as 199 unidentified bodies recovered from different parts of Chitwan following the devastating Bhotekoshi flash flood have been buried after preserving their DNA samples.

The bodies were recovered in Chitwan after the flash flood that struck Rasuwa district on August 26. The unidentified remains were buried in the Devghat forest area of Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1.

The burial was carried out in accordance with the Directive on Management of Unidentified Bodies and Unattended Dead Bodies (First Amendment), 2083.

According to Chitwan District Police Office Chief Superintendent of Police Rameshwor Paudel, 272 bodies have so far been recovered in the district. Of these, 12 have been identified, while 199 bodies have been buried as unidentified.

The recovered remains include 110 men, 62 women, seven baby boys and six baby girls. The remaining 87 are body parts and other mortal remains.

Police have preserved DNA samples and other identifying marks from the unidentified bodies. The bodies of those who have been identified have already been handed over to their respective families for last rites.

Authorities say the burial is a temporary measure to ensure the dignified management of the remains while preserving the possibility of future identification.

If the relatives or heirs of any deceased person are identified later, the authorities will exhume the corresponding body or remains and hand them over to the family for the final rites, in accordance with the directive and after DNA matching.

The flash flood in the Bhotekoshi River on August 26 caused widespread destruction in Rasuwa and affected areas downstream, with hundreds of people reported dead or missing.