Nepal flash floods: 3 bodies recovered from Gandak river in UP's Maharajganj

MAHARAJGANJ: Three bodies, including those of two women, were recovered from the Gandak river in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district on Thursday after they were apparently swept downstream from flood-hit Nepal, officials said.

A rescue team of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), while monitoring the river and adjoining areas, spotted the bodies being carried by the strong current, they said.

The team used a motorboat to retrieve the bodies and sent them to the mortuary at the district headquarters, officials informed further.

The identities of the deceased were not immediately known. Necessary procedures are being carried out to establish their identities, while the SSB and district administration are in touch with the authorities concerned in Nepal to trace their relatives, they said.

SSB Inspector Arun Pandey said three bodies believed to have been swept into the Gandak from Nepal had so far been recovered in Indian territory.

The river is flowing rapidly following heavy flooding in Nepal and more bodies could potentially be swept into Indian territory, Pandey said.

The SSB rescue team is maintaining continuous surveillance along the river and carrying out relief and rescue operations, officials said.

The local administration is also monitoring the water level and flow of the river and has advised residents living along its banks to remain alert, they said.