President Ram Chandra Poudel announced on Friday that the government will allow missing victims of the August 26 flood to be declared dead after just 45 days, slashing the previous 12‑year threshold.
The ordinance, approved in a cabinet meeting earlier this week, follows the catastrophic glacial collapse that sent tsunami‑like waters through multiple districts, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving over 5,000 unaccounted for.
Sasmit Pokharel, the government spokesperson, said the law change would enable families to obtain death certificates and access compensation, while Kiran Pokharel, the president’s press advisor, confirmed the ordinance had been issued.
Only 112 bodies have been identified and returned to relatives, and thousands of families still await closure. Some have already performed symbolic cremations for missing members.
The new rule comes as the country continues search operations and focuses on rehabilitation, with the next step being the rollout of the death‑certification process and a plan to resume construction of damaged infrastructure.