DNA testing begins to identify bodies in Nepal as nearly 5,000 remain missing

DNA testing has begun in Nepal to identify bodies recovered from devastating floods that have left nearly 5,000 people missing, authorities said.

Eleven days after the disaster, Nepal’s death toll has risen to 1,344, while more than 13,100 people have been rescued, according to Nepal Police.

Authorities are collecting DNA samples from relatives of missing people because many recovered bodies are severely decomposed, fragmented or otherwise difficult to identify visually.

So far, only 98 bodies have been formally identified and handed over to their families.

At least 500 recovered bodies are missing parts, making identification particularly difficult.

More than 1,000 unidentified bodies have already been buried while preserving samples and records for future DNA matching.

The floods were triggered by an ice-and-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, sending a massive surge of water and debris through the Bhote Koshi River and destroying homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

Rescue teams continue searching devastated areas for survivors and victims, while families wait anxiously for confirmation of the fate of their missing relatives.

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