Families in Nepal have held symbolic cremation ceremonies for relatives who remain missing after an August 26 flash flood, according to reporting from the region. In Hindu tradition, cremation is considered an essential final rite, and some families said the ritual performed without the bodies of their loved ones has provided spiritual release.
The flash flood has killed more than 1,200 people and left about 4,750 missing in Nepal and China's Tibet region. A massive wave of mud and debris destroyed towns, roads, bridges and several hydropower dams.
Nepali authorities have placed recovered bodies in temporary graves pending identification. DNA samples are being preserved, facial features photographed and other identifying details recorded to match remains with missing people.
