1,200 DNA profiles: Indian forensic team in Nepal working to identify missing Indian nationals, says MEA

New Delhi: An Indian forensic team deployed in Kathmandu in the wake of recent flash floods in Nepal has been working on 3,000 DNA samples and has arrived at more than 1,200 DNA profiles so far, the Ministry of External Affair (MEA) said on Tuesday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the information in response to a query during his bi-weekly briefing.

"We had given you a figure of 275 people who were missing, Indian nationals. 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 Nepalese colleagues," Jaiswal said.


"The Indian team has been working on 3,000 samples, of which it has been able to, so far, arrive at over 1,200 DNA profiles. So the work is going on and on the missing Indian nationals and missing persons, we await to hear from Nepalese authorities," he added.

Flash floods, originating near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.

The Bhotekoshi river, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away houses, vehicles, roads and bridges, and damaging hydropower projects.