{
  "id": 11957042,
  "title": "For Nepal's flood families, DNA holds the key to answers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/for-nepals-flood-families-dna-holds-the-key-to-answers",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-04T15:39:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2026/10/1547685/nepals-flood-families-dna-holds-key-answers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the wake of Nepal's devastating floods, DNA testing emerges as a crucial tool for families desperately searching for their loved ones. Rajesh Ram, a 53-year-old father, clutches a photograph of his missing son Suroj Kumar, hoping that a DNA match will bring him closure. The floods, triggered by a glacial collapse on the Nepal-China border, have left a trail of destruction across the country, claiming thousands of lives and leaving countless people missing.\n\nThe sheer scale of the disaster has overwhelmed Nepal's forensic capabilities. With thousands of bodies to examine and limited technical resources, matching the remains to families is proving to be an arduous task. As of now, only 112 bodies have been identified and returned to their loved ones, while a total of 1,454 bodies have been recovered. The majority of these remains are incomplete, making identification even more challenging.\n\nNepal's two forensic laboratories in Kathmandu are working around the clock to process the massive amount of DNA samples. Mukul Pradhan, the chief scientific officer at the National Forensic Science Laboratory, explains that while they typically handle 1,000-1,500 samples annually, they are now dealing with a flood of samples. Blood samples are relatively easier to analyze, but those extracted from teeth or bones can take several days to process.\n\nThe complexity of the task is further compounded by the fact that DNA alone cannot definitively identify a body without a reference sample from a relative. Authorities must compare the DNA profiles of both unidentified remains and thousands of relatives before any matches can be established. This process is expected to take weeks, leaving families in a state of uncertainty and despair.\n\nSeveral countries have offered support to Nepal during this crisis. Indian and Chinese fingerprint experts, along with assistance from South Korea, the United States, and Singapore, are helping expedite the identification process. While this support could potentially bring results within a few weeks, the families involved continue to live in a state of limbo, hoping against hope for news of their missing relatives.",
  "summary": "CLUTCHING a photograph of his missing son, Rajesh Ram is pinning his hopes on DNA testing — like thousands of others desperately seeking relatives swept away by Nepal’s catastrophic Himalayan floods.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}