In Nepal, families of flash flood victims hold symbolic funeral rites for the missing

Eight days after flash floods struck Nepal, numerous families still have not located relatives who went missing in the disaster. Unable to obtain clarity on the fate of their loved ones, some families have turned to symbolic cremation ceremonies — a ritual traditionally performed when a body cannot be recovered.

The practice underscores the severity of the situation in the affected areas, where the floods caused extensive damage and complicated search and rescue efforts. Difficult terrain and ongoing conditions have made it harder to locate missing people, and as each day passes without them being found, families are increasingly forced to confront the likelihood that their relatives did not survive.

Symbolic ceremonies allow grieving families to begin the mourning process even without a recovered or identified body. That families are turning to this ritual suggests many have come to accept that their missing relatives likely perished in the floods.

The situation highlights a broader consequence of natural disasters: beyond physical destruction, they can also deprive people of closure after tragedy. Authorities and rescue teams in Nepal are continuing efforts to determine the fate of all those still unaccounted for, though the passage of time has diminished hopes of finding survivors.