Two men in Nepal have been arrested after allegedly removing gold earrings from the body of a woman who died after being swept into floodwaters.
The incident reportedly took place amid severe flooding in the country, with footage circulating online appearing to show the men retrieving the woman’s body from the Narayani River before taking the jewellery from her ears.
Nepal Police subsequently highlighted the case and confirmed that two suspects had been detained.
Men Allegedly Removed Jewellery From Body
According to reports, video footage showed two men pulling the woman’s body from the river. They allegedly used her hair and a wooden plank while attempting to bring the body towards the riverbank.
After the body was retrieved, the men were reportedly seen removing earrings from the woman’s ears.
Several people appeared to be present nearby when the incident occurred.
Police later identified two suspects as 25-year-old Madan Gurung and 38-year-old Umesh Chaudhary. They were arrested near Pokhara Bus Park in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1 on Aug. 27, according to local media reports.
Nepal Police condemned the alleged conduct, particularly given that it occurred during a major disaster.
Police Condemn Alleged Looting During Disaster
Authorities stressed that taking property from victims during an emergency would not be tolerated, describing such behaviour as inhumane.
The arrests came as Nepal continued dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding and landslides that affected several areas.
The disaster has caused extensive damage to infrastructure and left many people dead or missing, adding further pressure on emergency responders and local authorities.
The incident involving the woman’s jewellery has also drawn attention because it allegedly occurred while rescue and recovery operations were taking place.
Severe Flooding Hits Nepal
Flash floods and mudslides struck mountainous parts of Nepal near the Nepal-Tibet border on Aug. 26.
According to reports, the disaster has resulted in a death toll of at least 469 people in Nepal, while around 900 others remained unaccounted for.
Some of the worst destruction was reported in Rasuwa district, which lies immediately south of the Chinese border.
Reports also described a major geological event involving an avalanche and a large amount of rock and sediment rushing towards the valley. The resulting landslide was reportedly recorded as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.
The scale of the flooding meant that people, vehicles and infrastructure were overwhelmed within a very short period.
As rescue teams continue searching affected areas, authorities are also working to identify victims and account for those still missing.
Against this backdrop, the arrests over the alleged theft of jewellery from a deceased flood victim have prompted renewed condemnation of opportunistic behaviour during natural disasters.