Bodies swept away by devastating floods in Nepal continue to surface far downstream, overwhelming morgues and creating challenges for authorities trying to identify the victims.

Axar.az reports, citing the Indian Express, that in Chitwan, hospital morgues can hold only 30 to 50 bodies.

An unused building in Bharatpur is being converted into a temporary facility with space for around 250 bodies, while air conditioners and dry ice are being arranged to slow decomposition.

By Saturday, 233 bodies had been brought to Chitwan, but only four had been identified. Authorities have begun burying the 229 unidentified bodies after collecting DNA samples and assigning identification numbers, allowing them to potentially be identified later.

Bodies recovered from Rasuwa and Nuwakot have been found as far downstream as Chitwan, Tanahun and Nawalparasi. Families of missing people have been travelling to Chitwan with photographs of their relatives.

In Pokhara, 102 bodies have been transferred for identification and post-mortem examinations after local facilities ran out of space. Authorities are using fingerprints, photographs, DNA testing and identifying features such as tattoos and clothing.

The continuing recovery operation is adding urgency to efforts to identify the dead, with authorities warning that decomposition will make the process increasingly difficult.