DNA Profiling Intensified for Identification of Flood Victims
Summary
DNA profiling has been expedited to identify people who went missing and died in the BhoteKoshi flood, as decomposed bodies cannot be identified through traditional methods. Nepal Police and the National Forensic Science Laboratory are matching samples from bones and teeth with relatives’ DNA, with results expected to take months as the mass identification process continues.
Key Points
- DNA profiling has become the main method for identifying victims of the BhoteKoshi flood because many bodies are decomposed or damaged.
- The National Forensic Science Laboratory and Nepal Police are collecting samples from bones and teeth and matching them with DNA from first-degree relatives.
- Officials say the process is highly accurate but will take at least three months to build a database for all missing families.
- Forensic experts note that limited manpower, infrastructure, and DNA kits are making the mass identification effort difficult.
