Headlines
Hundreds cremated near Pashupatinath temple
Kathmandu, April 26
Grieving families on
Sunday cremated hundreds of victims of Nepal's earthquake near the famed
Pashupatinath temple here, confusion and overcrowding marking the final
rites.
Relatives jostled for space in the vast area to cremate
the dead. Lack of adequate space forced hundreds to perform the last
rites outside the designated spots.
More than 2,300 people have
been officially declared dead in Saturday's devastating quake that
measured 7.9 on the Richter scale. The government has warned that the
toll may rise.
With most deaths reported so far in and around the
Kathmandu Valley, there was heavy pressure on the Hindu cremation
ground near the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The funeral of
more than 100 people took place on Sunday within a short time. "People
are conducting the last rites wherever they can and without following
the proper rituals," a witness told IANS.
Hundreds waited in serpentine queue to cremate their near and dear ones.
Hindus form 80 percent of Nepal's 29 million people. Buddhists account for another 10 percent.