RUPANDEHI, Sept 10: Nepal Police have stepped up DNA collection and testing to identify the bodies of Nepali and foreign nationals who lost their lives in the Bhotekoshi flood.
To minimize errors in identification, police have intensified sample testing using modern forensic DNA profiling methods. The Central Forensic Science Laboratory of Nepal Police in Samakhushi is testing DNA samples collected from flood-affected areas and from relatives of the deceased.
Police said scientific standards and available technologies are being followed throughout the process, from sample collection and secure storage to testing.
Bhotekoshi flood: Tanahun police reaching out for DNA samples
Nepal Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Abhinarayan Kafle said search, rescue and body identification have been prioritized following the disaster.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Yog Bahadur Pal, chief of the forensic laboratory, the process of receiving samples from bodies recovered from flood-affected areas and their relatives is ongoing. The laboratory team is working round the clock to securely store and test the samples while adhering to established standards.
So far, the laboratory has received 1,240 samples for DNA and related forensic testing. These include 808 blood samples from relatives of the deceased and other sources, 348 samples collected from the teeth and bones of the deceased, and 84 samples related to fingerprints.
Blood samples for DNA profiling have so far been received from 26 districts.
According to the latest data, 2,678 DNA samples have been collected for body identification, including 1,286 samples from the deceased and 1,412 from their relatives.
Of the samples collected from the deceased, 354 are from Chitwan, 70 from Dhading, 207 from Nuwakot, 134 from Rasuwa, 199 from Nawalparasi East, 38 from Tanahun, 71 from Gorkha and 213 from Nawalparasi West, according to police.
Similarly, 990 samples from relatives of the deceased have so far been collected at the Nepal Police Hospital. Efforts are continuing to collect samples from relatives in other districts as the identification process gathers pace.
