Katmandu: Families of people missing after Nepal’s devastating floods are turning to DNA testing as they struggle to establish the identities of victims whose remains have been recovered.
Among them is Amrit Diyali, whose younger brother Raj Kumar, along with his wife and four-year-old son, has been missing since the floods struck. Amrit’s family was shaken after a photograph of a human hand recovered downstream was sent to them because it appeared similar to Raj Kumar’s.
The discovery has left the family caught between hope and fear. A DNA test is now expected to determine whether the remains belong to Raj Kumar.
The identification of flood victims has become increasingly difficult as bodies have been recovered far from the areas where people disappeared. In some cases, physical features, photographs and personal belongings have proved insufficient, prompting authorities to rely on DNA testing to establish identities.
For families still waiting for news of missing relatives, the DNA process offers a painful but crucial possibility of finally receiving an answer and bringing closure to their uncertainty.
