Nepal Police have arrested two men accused of stealing gold earrings from the body of a flood victim.
Kathmandu: Nepal Police on Thursday, August 27, arrested two men accused of stealing gold earrings from the body of a flood victim, a day after catastrophic flash floods and landslides along the Bhotekoshi river killed at least 359 people and left hundreds more missing.
According to a press release issued by the District Police Office in Bharatpur, Chitwan, officials received a video showing the alleged theft from a body that had been swept in by the flooding on Wednesday, August 26. The footage showed the men using a long pole to approach the body before allegedly removing a gold earring from the deceased’s ear.
Acting on the video, police identified and detained Madan Gurung, 25, originally from Nawalparasi district and now living in Bharatpur’s Ward No 1, and Umesh Chaudhary, 38, originally from Sunsari district and residing near Pokhara Bus Park in Bharatpur’s Ward No 2. Both were taken into custody from near Pokhara Bus Park in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, with further investigation underway, the police statement said.
Nepal Police also released a short video combining the original clip, with the victim’s face blurred, alongside images of the two suspects and details of the arrest, describing it as a case of “inhumane” conduct towards a disaster victim.
The arrests come amid one of Nepal’s most devastating recent disasters. Flash floods struck the Bhotekoshi river in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts on August 26 after an ice-rock avalanche blocked a tributary stream and then released a sudden surge downstream, according to officials and disaster researchers.
The death toll in Nepal has since climbed past 350, with more than 800 people still listed as missing, according to police figures, including hundreds of foreign tourists caught in the disaster. China reported at least three deaths on its side of the border.
Rescue and recovery operations have continued for over a day across the affected districts, with bodies and debris carried far downstream by the floodwaters, complicating identification efforts.
Authorities have warned residents to stay away from the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers as water levels remain volatile.
The video of the alleged theft triggered widespread outrage on social media after it began circulating, with many users condemning the act as disrespectful to a person killed in the disaster and calling for strict punishment. Police said the case remains under investigation, and the two men have not yet been formally charged.
This post was last modified on August 27, 2026 9:00 pm