As rescuers continue the desperate search for victims of devastating floods and landslides along the China-Nepal border, a disturbing video has sparked public outrage after two men were allegedly caught removing gold earrings from the body of a woman swept away by floodwaters.
The 41-second clip, later reshared by the Nepal Police, shows the men pulling the woman’s lifeless body from the Narayani River using wooden planks and her hair.
Police arrest suspects following viral outrage
In the footage, the men can be seen removing earrings from both of the woman’s ears and setting them aside, while several onlookers gathered around the scene and recorded the incident.
Chitwan Police confirmed that their investigation found the woman’s body had been swept into the Narayani River amidst the severe flooding.
Authorities subsequently identified and arrested two suspects near Pokhara Bus Park in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1 on Thursday (27 August), according to Nepali news outlet Khabarhub:
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Madan Gurung, 25
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Umesh Chaudhary, 38
Police strongly condemned the incident, emphasising that looting victims or engaging in any form of inhumane behaviour during a disaster will not be tolerated.
Nepal grapples with one of its deadliest flood disasters in years
The appalling incident comes as Nepal faces immense devastation. Rescue teams are battling thick mud and treacherous conditions to search for more than 1,400 people who remain missing after severe flash floods and landslides hit the Nepal-Tibet border region. At least 392 people have been confirmed dead, with entire villages reportedly wiped out by the surging waters.
Across the border in Tibet, the destruction has been equally catastrophic.
A massive mudslide on Wednesday swallowed a bus parking bay and buried a multi-storey port building at the Gyirong Port border crossing. According to the BBC, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that mud in the surrounding areas reached an average depth of over 1.5 metres (5 feet).
Amidst the massive scale of destruction, the alleged theft from a deceased victim has added a deeply disheartening note to a tragedy already defined by catastrophic loss.
Stay tuned to WORLD OF BUZZ for the latest updates.
Also read: PMX: Govt Working Closely With Nepalese Authorities To Locate 54 M’sians After Deadly Mudslide
