More than two thousand people including lawmakers and students hugged trees in a park outside Nepal's capital Kathmandu on Thursday to claim a new record on World Environment Day.

After organizers sounded a horn, eager students, many wearing their school uniforms, clasped tree trunks and held tight for two minutes as Nepalese musicians beat traditional drums.

Organizers will now submit their claim for a new record to Guinness World Records, which is expected to rule on it within two months.

The current world record for the world's largest tree-hugging event was set in July 2013, when 936 people gathered in the US state of Oregon.

— Agence France-Presse