Catastrophic floods struck northern and central Nepal, destroying entire settlements, five days before the police warning. ^[1] On the Monday following the catastrophic floods that devastated northern and central Nepal, Nepal Police asked citizens to refrain from consuming fish and other river foods carried by the floodwaters, citing contamination and health risks, in a statement posted on its official X account. ^[2] On August 31, 2026, the Nepal Police urged citizens to abstain from consuming fish and other foods washed into rivers following devastating floods that hit the northern and central regions five days prior. ^[3] France 24 reported on 2026-02-09 that authorities in Bharatpur, Nepal, began burying unidentified bodies. ^[4] Authorities in the Rasuwa and Nawalpur districts said the Bhote Koshi river and nearby watercourses are seriously contaminated with chemicals, mud, waste, pathogens, and human and animal corpses swept downstream from the mountains. ^[5] Nepali health authorities warned that consuming such products or using the river water directly carries a serious risk of outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and E, and skin infections. ^[6] Authorities in the Rasuwa and Nawalpur districts reported that the Bhote Koshi river and nearby streams are heavily contaminated with chemicals, mud, waste, pathogens, and human and animal remains. ^[7] Nepalese health authorities warned that consuming contaminated water or food poses a grave risk of cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and E, and skin infections. ^[8]