DNA Forensics Mission Launched to Locate Missing Persons after Nepal's Deadly Floods

In response to the devastating floods that swept central Nepal and the Nepal‑Tibet border region on 26 August, India’s National Forensic Sciences University has deployed a ten‑person DNA forensics mission.\nLed by Dr. Bhargav Patel, the Centre of Excellence in DNA Forensics will extract DNA from recovered remains and compare it against samples submitted by families of the missing.\n\nThe mission is being overseen jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, ensuring coordination between diplomatic and internal security channels.\n\nOfficial figures indicate that the disaster has resulted in 669 confirmed deaths, with approximately 2,000 people still unaccounted for. Ongoing rescue operations have relocated thousands to safety, but extensive damage to transportation infrastructure hampers further relief work.\n\nThe flood has also affected Indian nationals; 25 Indians, some holding foreign citizenship, are reported missing. Their relatives are counting on the forensic team to provide definitive identification.\n\nNFSU highlighted its capability to conduct swift DNA identification, referencing its ten‑day turnaround in the AI‑171 plane crash investigation last year. The university also mentioned previous collaboration with the United States Department of Defense to locate three World War II American soldiers missing in India.\n\nAfter completing the DNA matching process, the team will furnish detailed identification results to the families, helping them obtain the closure they desperately need after the tragedy.