Three bodies recovered from Gandak in UP after Nepal floods

Three bodies were recovered from the Gandak river in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district after they apparently drifted into Indian territory from Nepal following the devastating floods there, officials said on Saturday.

The bodies were spotted near barrage pier number 3 in the Madanpur-Sukrauli area of Khadda on Friday. Police and administrative officials reached the spot and began efforts to establish the identities of the deceased.

Khadda SHO Sandeep Singh said State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) monitoring teams noticed the bodies floating in the river and subsequently retrieved them.

The recovered bodies could not be identified immediately. Authorities have shared details with officials in neighbouring Nepal to help ascertain whether the deceased were among those reported missing following the floods.

Several other items, including vehicles, household belongings, gas cylinders, drums, furniture, logs and other debris, have also been seen floating in the Gandak and washing up along its banks.

Villagers have been gathering along the river to retrieve items being washed ashore. The administration has urged people not to enter the river and instead inform officials if they spot floating objects.

The recovery comes a day after four unidentified bodies were found in a river in neighbouring Maharajganj district. The bodies were in a severely decomposed condition, and authorities were coordinating with Nepal officials to determine whether they were linked to people missing after the floods and landslides.

The flash floods in Nepal began on August 26 following a sudden surge in the Bhotekoshi river in the Rasuwa region. The floodwaters later flowed into the Trishuli and Gandak river systems, affecting downstream areas in India.

The Kushinagar administration has increased monitoring along the Gandak, with SDRF, police and other teams keeping watch over vulnerable areas.

Although water levels have started declining and the immediate flood threat has eased, officials said monitoring would continue.