DNA testing becomes lifeline for families of Nepal's devastating flood victims

A massive flood on Aug. 26, caused by a glacial and rock collapse at the Nepal-China border, has left Nepal grappling with an unprecedented identification challenge. Disaster officials have recovered 1,454 bodies, but about a third are only fragments, and only 112 have been identified so far. Laboratories in Kathmandu are processing 3,685 forensic samples, including more than 1,300 from the deceased, far beyond their usual annual workload of 1,000-1,500.

DNA matching requires samples from both the remains and relatives, a task complicated by the sheer scale and the need for reference material. Support from neighboring countries and experts from the United States and Singapore aims to speed up the process, which may still take several weeks, leaving families in a painful limbo.