275 Indians Still Missing After Nepal Floods as Forensic Teams Work to Identify Victims

New Delhi — As many as 275 Indian nationals remain missing following devastating flash floods in Nepal, while forensic teams continue efforts to identify victims, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Tuesday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said an Indian forensic team is working alongside Nepali experts in Kathmandu laboratories and has been examining thousands of samples.

“As I told you last time, we had given you a figure of 275 people who are missing Indian nationals or over and above, there were several other people from the Indian diaspora, persons of Indian origin, who are also missing. We have a forensic team in Nepal which is working in Kathmandu in several laboratories along with their Nepali colleagues. They have been working on 3,000 samples, of which they have been able to arrive at 1,200 DNA profiles, so the work is going on and on the missing Indian nationals we await to hear from Nepali authorities,” Jaiswal said during the ministry’s weekly media briefing.

India has also provided relief supplies and rescue personnel to Nepal following requests from the government in Kathmandu.

“So, on this, I would like to say that, as you know, when this incident happened, since then, we have provided assistance from our side based on the requests received from them. This included relief material, as well as the rescue teams that we sent there, about which you already know. We sent a team of 54 people there. Some people are still working there, while some have returned. The Government of Nepal is currently assessing the situation there,” Jaiswal said.

The 54-member Indian team included 30 tunnel rescue experts, 19 forensic specialists and a five-member medical team.

An Indian Air Force flight carrying 11 tons of supplies arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday and was handed over to the Nepalese government. It was the ninth special flight India has dispatched with relief materials, equipment and expert personnel since the floods struck on Aug. 26. (Source: IANS)