Nepal uses DNA to identify over 1,300 flood victims as search continues

Authorities in Nepal have collected DNA samples from more than 2,200 sources, including 1,260 bodies and 1,012 relatives, as they attempt to identify hundreds of victims from the August 26 flash floods that killed over 1,300 people and left around 5,000 missing.

Only 96 bodies have been handed over to families after identification so far, according to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. Police said 1,030 bodies had been buried after DNA samples were collected and other identification procedures completed, including 222 women, 355 men and 453 bodies whose sex could not be established.

Remains severely damaged or fragmented

Bodies recovered after being swept downstream have often been severely damaged, decomposed or recovered only in parts, making identification by face, clothing or personal belongings difficult, officials said. Prolonged immersion in water and exposure to mud and debris can destroy identifiable features, while some remains have been fragmented or mixed with other remains.

Forensic experts say DNA testing has therefore become crucial, but it is a time-consuming process requiring samples from the remains and biological relatives for comparison. Fingerprints and dental records can also establish identities, but their usefulness depends on the condition of the remains and the availability of matching records, officials said.

Family waits for test results on severed hand

Amrit Diyali is among those waiting for DNA results after his nephew Avinash found a severed hand that resembled his missing younger brother Raj Kumar's. "I found a hand that looks exactly like uncle's," Avinash told him after sending a photograph of the severed hand, according to The Kathmandu Post.

Raj Kumar, 33, his 30-year-old wife Shriti and their four-year-old son Siraj were living in Syaphrubesi in Rasuwa district when the Bhotekoshi flood struck. The family sent a sample from the hand to the National Forensic Science Laboratory in Kathmandu on September 1, 2026, for DNA testing. The sample is 182nd in line for testing, according to Diyali.

"We have stopped hoping for anything else," he told The Kathmandu Post. "Even if that hand turns out to be my brother's, at least we would know for sure".

DNA collection centres expanded

Nepal Police has opened a DNA sample collection centre in Bidur, Nuwakot, allowing relatives of missing people to provide samples without travelling to Kathmandu, the Ratopati news portal reported. Deputy Inspector General of Nepal Police Hospital Damodar Poudel said samples from close blood relatives such as parents, children and siblings are particularly useful for comparison with DNA obtained from unidentified bodies.

Authorities have also uploaded details of 1,270 unidentified bodies on the Nepal Police website so families can check whether their missing relatives are among those recovered.

The flash floods were triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, causing the Bhotekoshi River to sweep away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damage hydropower projects.

Source: The Hindu