A grim trail downstream: 10 bodies retrieved from Gandak river in UP

Nepal floods leave grim trail in UP: 10 bodies discovered in Gandak river The bodies were recovered in Maharajganj and Kushinagar.

Key points

• On August 27, a Rescue and Relief Team of the Sashastra Seema Bal patrolling the Gandak river in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj spotted something floating in the water.
• 4 min read Lucknow Updated: Aug 30, 2026 01: 59 AM IST.
• By the weekend, 10 bodies had been pulled from the Gandak in Uttar Pradesh – four in Maharajganj and six in Kushinagar.
• The Gandak forms part of the border region between Nepal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
• Extra District Magistrate of Maharajganj, Prashant Kumar, stated the bodies of three women and a young man had been discovered in the district.

For context, an official remarked the immediate flood threat had eased as water levels had receded.

In practice, the eight-member team led by Inspector Arun Pandey took the boat closer, only to find that it was the body of a woman – swollen, highly decomposed and with visible injuries.

Using the equipment they had on them, the team moved the body toward the riverbank. "I immediately informed senior authorities about the recovery, and the information was subsequently shared with officials from other departments involved in the rescue operation, " Pandey informed The Indian Express, adding that the body was handed to the district administration.

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Within two hours after the first recovery, Pandey remarked the team spotted three more bodies floating in the river.

By the weekend, 10 bodies had been pulled from the Gandak in Uttar Pradesh – four in Maharajganj and six in Kushinagar. An official remarked the dead are all adults, believed to be victims of the Nepal flash floods who were eventually swept throughout the border into India.

Meanwhile, the bodies have been taken to mortuaries, where they will be kept for 72 hours while authorities carry out the arduous work of identifying them and tracing their families.

Meanwhile, the flash floods that hit the northeastern district of Rasuwa in Nepal on August 26 are understood to have been triggered by a rock and ice avalanche, caused by a sizeable block of glacier in the upper reaches of the Bhotekashi river (the lower side is additionally called the Trishuli) falling off.

For context, the Gandak forms part of the border region between Nepal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. A disaster management expert remarked the river first enters Maharajganj district, then flows through Kushinagar and Deoria before entering Bihar.

As well as distinctive physical features such as tattoos and other identifying marks, authorities handling the bodies in UP have recorded details of jewellery and other belongings identified on the bodies. Photographs have additionally been circulated in nearby areas.

Extra District Magistrate of Maharajganj, Prashant Kumar, stated the bodies of three women and a young man had been discovered in the district. "If no one comes forward during the 72-hour period, further action will be taken in accordance with government guidelines, " Kumar remarked.

Until then, the administration will await information from Nepal or India that could support identify the victims. Authorities stated they additionally sent a report on the recoveries to the state administration. It is projected to forward it to the central administration for further information and necessary action.

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Ravi Pratap Rai, a disaster management expert posted in Kushinagar, remarked they recovered the bodies of three men and three women. Four bodies were discovered in Khadda tehsil and two in Tamkuhi Raj tehsil.

Since August 27, a number of teams, including Pandey's, have patrolled the river around the clock, working in shifts to maintain continuous surveillance. They employ searchlights at night and have sought assist from local villagers, asking them to alert authorities if they spot anything unusual in the water.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and the flood battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary are additionally working alongside the district administration and police in Maharajganj and Kushinagar.

For context, an official remarked the immediate flood threat had eased as water levels receded. Authorities, nevertheless, called on residents to stay away from rivers and low-lying areas for now.

In short, a grim trail downstream: 10 bodies retrieved from Gandak river in UP is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.