Maharajganj (UP) | Four bodies were recovered from a river in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district after they apparently drifted into Indian territory from Nepal amid the ongoing flood situation, officials said on Friday.
The bodies were found in a severely decomposed state and have not yet been identified; they are currently being held at the mortuary of the Maharajganj district hospital.
Authorities are in contact with the Nepal administration to ascertain their identities and check whether they could be among those reported missing after the floods and landslides.
District Magistrate Gaurav Singh Sogarwal said, "Four bodies have so far been recovered and kept in the mortuary. We are in contact with the Nepal administration regarding the matter." He noted that the flood threat has subsided as the water flow in the river has decreased, and added, "The situation in the area is normal at present." Officials said efforts were underway to identify the deceased and ascertain whether they were among those missing in Nepal following the devastating floods.
Maharajganj shares a border with Nepal and the district administration had earlier sounded a high alert following the flash floods in the neighbouring country. River levels and water bodies receiving water from Nepal have been under continuous monitoring, with vulnerable villages and low-lying areas kept under watch.
Sogarwal and Superintendent of Police Shakti Mohan Avasthy had inspected the river and adjoining areas and reviewed flood preparedness. The district administration had directed revenue, police, SSB and SDRF personnel to continuously monitor the river and remain ready for relief and rescue operations.
The administration also appealed to residents to stay away from rivers and low-lying areas and made arrangements for evacuation if water levels rose sharply.
The Nepal flash floods, triggered after an ice-rock landslide blocked a river near the country's border with China, have affected several districts and left hundreds dead and hundreds missing, according to Nepal's disaster management authorities.
The death toll rose to 538 on Friday with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continue with caution following the threat of fresh flooding due to an increase in the water level of a lake formed by avalanches on the border with Tibet.
The flash floods have caused extensive damage to roads and bridges and disrupted connectivity in several parts of Nepal. Nearly 300 Indian tourists were also reported missing, according to Nepal's foreign minister.
The Uttar Pradesh government has deployed SDRF and PAC personnel for rescue and relief operations in Nepal, while rescue teams and equipment remain on alert in border districts.
In Maharajganj, officials continue to monitor the river and other small seasonal rivers and water channels in the area amid the changing water flow.
