The were flown home on a Nepal Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur.

The workers had died due to various causes during their work. Many Nepalis are employed as security guards.

Quoting the Nepali embassy in Kuala Lumpur, an ANI report said the remains of 37 more Nepali workers were waiting to be sent home.

ANI quoted Nakul BK as being relieved at finally receiving the body of his younger brother.

Nakul and his widowed-sister-in-law took the remains back to their hometown for cremation.

“I last spoke to him over the phone during Tihar (festival of lights). He had promised to call and talk to us again but that never happened.

“We got news about his death later and were shocked,” Nakul said.

Nepal Airlines spokeman Sulekh Mishra said it decided to fly home the bodies as part of its corporate social responsibility duties.

Nepal, with a population of 30 million, provides about 382,000 workers to Malaysia. A large number of Nepalis are said to have entered the country on tourist visas and overstayed.

One of those who died before becoming a legal worker is the father of Milan Magar, 41, who came from Dhankuta to receive the body.

“He was working in Malaysia for 10 years. He died during his sleep after returning from duty,” Milan told ANI.

Milan said his father died on Dec 12 last year, but the family had to wait for more than a month to receive the body.