Indian Forensic Team Begins DNA Analysis to Identify Nepal Flood Victims
Kathmandu — A 19-member Indian forensic team has begun analyzing DNA samples with Nepali experts to help identify victims of the recent flash floods in Nepal, the Indian Embassy said Tuesday.
The team is carrying out the work at the Nepal Police Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the National Forensic Science Laboratory in the Khumaltar area of the Kathmandu Valley.
Indian specialists are working with Nepali forensic teams to speed up analysis of DNA samples collected from flood-hit areas and help identify recovered remains as well as people still listed as missing, according to the embassy.
“The deployment of the Indian forensic team is part of ongoing efforts to support Nepal in the aftermath of the recent flash floods, which caused significant loss of life and left several people unaccounted for,” the embassy said.
Nepal Police said 1,068 bodies had been recovered as of Tuesday evening. About 400 consisted only of partial remains, complicating identification efforts.
Authorities have collected DNA samples from unidentified remains as the search continues and the death toll is expected to rise.
In Chitwan district, where authorities have recovered the largest number of bodies, hundreds of unidentified remains have been buried in designated areas along riverbanks after DNA samples were preserved for possible future identification.
Nepal Police said 4,606 people remained unaccounted for, including 583 foreign nationals.
Search operations are also continuing around hydropower projects along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.
At the request of Nepal’s government, India and China have deployed technical teams to assist with search and rescue work inside hydropower tunnels.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said Tuesday that authorities were handling unidentified remains in accordance with Nepali law and scientific procedures.
“The government is managing only those bodies that are found in an unidentifiable condition, while preserving DNA samples and other evidence that could assist in their identification,” Shah said in a Facebook post.
He said the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force were assisting with the process, while identified bodies were being returned to their families. (Source: IANS)
