Nepal Police is using DNA analysis, fingerprints and newly developed photo-matching software to identify people killed in the Bhote Koshi floods.
The force’s Disaster Victim Identification software compares photographs of missing people with images of recovered bodies. Police are also digitizing fingerprints taken from some victims and searching for potential matches, while DNA remains the principal method for bodies that cannot be identified visually.
Central Police spokesperson Abinarayan Kafle said authorities had collected 3,065 DNA samples by September 12. That total comprised 1,286 samples from recovered bodies and 1,779 from relatives of missing people. More than 400 samples had undergone testing, with laboratories processing approximately 25 to 30 each day.
The Nepal Police Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology laboratory in Khumaltar are conducting the DNA work. A third laboratory is being prepared at the Bagmati Province Police Office in Hetauda to increase capacity.
Technicians are using the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, to compare profiles derived from victims with reference samples provided by close relatives. Samples taken from bones and teeth can require up to four days to process because the material must be pulverized, treated with a chemical solution and held for 72 hours before analysis.
Specialist teams from China, India, Singapore and South Korea are assisting Nepal’s forensic personnel. Indian and South Korean experts are working at the police laboratory, while Indian and Chinese teams are supporting the Khumaltar facility.
The three-method approach reflects the range of biometric tools used in large-scale victim identification. Punjab authorities in India recently distributed fingerprint devices for identifying unclaimed bodies, while Ukraine established a biometric identification project for war victims that combines forensic records with identity data.
Nepal Police said identification procedures, including DNA sample collection, had been completed for bodies recovered by Saturday afternoon. The force is receiving additional samples from affected districts and from relatives as search and recovery work continues.
Authorities had buried 1,230 recovered bodies after completing identification procedures and collecting the available forensic samples.
Family reference samples allow laboratories to identify remains even when a direct visual comparison or fingerprint search cannot produce a match.
Sources: Radio Nepal / RSS
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
