Nepal, Sept. 3 -- The devastating floods that tore through Nepal's northern villages on August 26 have left authorities grappling with the recovery and identification of hundreds of bodies, including severely damaged and decomposed remains. Amid mass burials of unidentified victims - in the absence of adequate facilities for long-term preservation and amid public health concerns - questions have emerged over how the remains should be identified, documented and preserved for possible identification in the future.

Professor Lata Gautam, who previously worked at Nepal's National Forensic Science Laboratory, currently teaches and researches at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK.

Bhagirath Yogi, a journalist based in London, spoke to Gautam ...