Kathmandu, Aug 28: Nepal Police said they had arrested two men for allegedly stealing gold earrings from the body of a woman who was swept downstream into the Narayani River during devastating floods in the country.

After a video showing the incident went viral on social media and sparked widespread outrage, police arrested the suspects after identifying them through an examination of the video. The footage showed two men pulling the woman’s body from the river before allegedly removing earrings from both her ears.

Nepal Police later shared a video, saying that the men allegedly involved in stealing the earrings from the dead woman had been taken into custody. A police official from the District Police Office, Chitwan, Suraj Budha, said the duo were arrested on Thursday.

According to a statement from the District Police Office, Chitwan, Madan Bhujel, 25, and Umesh Chaudhary, 38, both temporarily residing at Bharatpur Metropolitan City, in southern Chitwan district, were arrested near Pokhara Bus Park of the city.

Police also shared the video of the alleged theft and informed the public that the suspects had been arrested. In the viral video previously shared on social media, two men can be seen using wooden planks and the woman’s hair to pull her body out of the water. They then appear to remove earrings from both ears and place them aside. Several people can be seen standing around the scene, with some recording the incident on their phones.

Chitwan Police said their investigation established that the body had been swept away by the deadly floods that wreaked havoc in parts of the country and was carried into the Narayani River in the southern plains.

Police described the incident as an inhuman act at a time when people are suffering from the disaster. The arrests came as Nepal continues a massive search-and-rescue operation. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 478 people had been confirmed dead in the disaster by Friday noon, while 977 remained out of contact.

Meanwhile, Nepali authorities on Friday issued a fresh warning about the risk of another flood, stating that they had received a report of a lake outburst in the Tibetan region of China that could trigger fresh flooding in Nepal.

Kathmandu, Aug 28: Nepali authorities on Friday issued a fresh warning about the risk of another flood, stating that they had received a report of a lake outburst in the Tibetan region of China that could trigger fresh flooding in Nepal.

“Information has been received that the flow of water mixed with debris and mud has increased again on Friday in the same area of the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa, where a major flood occurred on August 26,” the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said in a notice on Friday.

“As there is a risk of another flood, all personnel engaged in rescue and relief operations along the banks of the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, as well as those remaining in high-risk areas for various reasons, are strongly urged to exercise the highest level of caution and immediately move to a safe location if any danger is observed.”

Nepal Police also issued a warning, saying they had received a report of a lake outburst in the Tibetan region and urging people and those involved in rescue operations to remain alert to the danger.

The authorities issued the fresh warning as the country continues to reel from the devastation caused by the massive flood on August 26, which killed at least 469 people, while 977 people remain out of contact, NDRRMA said earlier on Friday. Of those out of contact, 517 are foreign nationals.

Earlier, citing information received from the Chinese side, the Water Resources Research and Development Centre under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation said that the lake formed at the site where the river was blocked had not yet fully drained.

“Therefore, the possibility of an additional surge in water flow in the Upper Bhote Koshi area cannot be completely ruled out at this time. Continuous monitoring of the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli river system is therefore necessary,” it said in a statement issued on Thursday night.

It said that as the situation at the site where the river was blocked in the Upper Bhote Koshi area had not yet returned completely to normal, the risk in the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani river systems could not yet be considered to have fully subsided.

Amid the risk of another flood, authorities have urged security personnel deployed for rescue and relief operations along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers to remain on high alert.

Mumbai, Aug 27: Following severe flooding, landslides and earthquakes in the Nepal-Tibet region, the Maharashtra government is actively gathering information regarding tourists from the state currently stranded in the affected areas.

Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan on Thursday confirmed that state authorities are in constant communication with the Union Government and that relief mechanisms are operating round the clock.

Mahajan said officials had successfully contacted four tourists so far, confirming they were safe. The administration had collected details for roughly 80 individuals. However, communication remained severely impaired because damaged mobile networks and landline outages cut off the affected regions.

A group of tourists travelled to Mansarovar via two vehicles organised by Richard Tours & Travels. Approximately 37 passengers in one vehicle have been confirmed safe. Operations are ongoing to track down the remaining travellers despite severe transportation disruptions caused by landslides, he said.

Mahajan urged families not to panic, emphasising that both central and state agencies were leaving no stone unturned to locate and assist every traveller from Maharashtra. He further stated that all District Collectors across Maharashtra had been instructed to compile lists of residents who recently travelled to the Nepal-Tibet region.

The state government has appealed to relatives and the general public to share any available details regarding stranded individuals.

To streamline information collection and facilitate immediate relief, the Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (Control Room, Mantralaya) has launched a dedicated online portal and 24/7 helpline numbers. Relatives can register details of stranded family members at https://geospatial.mahaseoc.in/Sahayata_gulf/.

The government has released the following numbers: State Control Room Toll-Free Number 1070 and Direct Control Room Line +91-9321587143. The official email is controlroom@maharashtra.gov.in. Family members of tourists currently in Nepal are strongly encouraged to submit complete details through the official link or contact the control room immediately, said Mahajan.