Goa, Aug. 30 -- Nepal will proceed with mass burials of unidentified victims of the devastating flash floods after authorities faced an acute shortage of space in mortuaries, officials said on Sunday.

The decision by the Ministry of Home Affairs came a day after 70 unclaimed bodies were buried in Chitwan district. Kathmandu has emerged as the main collection centre for bodies recovered downstream following severe flooding across the Trishuli River basin.

Authorities said DNA samples of the unidentified victims will be preserved. This will allow families who later identify their relatives to exhume the remains and perform religious funeral rites.

The floods were triggered by a major glacial collapse near Nepal's border with Tibet. Surgi...