TN Sets Up Free DNA Testing in Chennai for Missing Nepal Flood Victims

Blood relatives of people missing after the recent flash floods in Nepal can now provide blood samples for DNA matching to help identify victims, the Tamil Nadu government announced on Thursday. The testing facility has been opened for families from the Chennai, Madurai, and Thanjavur regions.

The initiative comes in the wake of the severe flash floods that struck Nepal on August 26. A total of 305 persons from the state had travelled to Nepal when the disaster hit.

According to an official press release, 220 of the 305 travellers had been successfully saved and brought home as of Wednesday. Search operations continue for the remaining 85 individuals who are yet to be traced.

The state administration confirmed that ongoing search and rescue efforts are being conducted with the support of the Union Government, the Nepal government, and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

As part of the search and identification procedure, the government has requested willing first-degree relatives of the missing persons, such as parents or children, to come forward with blood samples. The DNA matching service is being offered free of cost at government forensic laboratories situated in Chennai, Madurai, and Thanjavur.