Relatives mourn during symbolic funerals held for flood victims still reported missing at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]
By AFP3 Sep 2026
Families in Nepal held symbolic funerals for relatives who remain missing, hoping to free their souls after they were presumed dead.
In Hindu tradition, cremation is a vital final rite, and for some families, performing the ceremony without the bodies of their loved ones has brought a measure of spiritual release.
Authorities in Nepal have meanwhile been burying recovered bodies in temporary graves until they can be identified. DNA samples are being preserved, distinguishing facial features photographed and other identifying details recorded to help match the remains with missing people and eventually return them to their families.
The August 26 flash flood has been one of the deadliest disasters to hit the Himalayan nation in recent years.
More than 1,200 people were killed and about 4,750 remain missing in Nepal and China’s Tibet region, after a huge wave of mud and debris destroyed towns, roads, bridges and several hydropower dams.
Relatives carry kush grass effigies for cremation in accordance with Hindu rites during symbolic funerals held for flood victims still reported missing, at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]Relatives make kush grass effigies for cremation at the Pashupatinath Temple. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]Mourners attend symbolic funerals at the Pashupatinath Temple. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]Relatives mourn during symbolic funerals at the Pashupatinath Temple. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]The August 26 flash flood has been one of the deadliest disasters to hit the Himalayan nation in recent years. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]The symbolic funeral ceremonies are meant to “liberate the souls” of loved ones missing since the deadly flash flood swept away their villages and homes in the Himalayan region. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]Relatives cremate grass effigies during symbolic funerals at the Pashupatinath Temple. [Prakash Mathema/AFP]
