Air India crash forensic team in Nepal to ID victims
What's the story
A 19-member team of Indian DNA experts has been deployed in Nepal to identify victims of the recent flash floods, HT reported exclusively. The team is part of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process, which involves collecting and analyzing biological samples from mutilated bodies and relatives searching for missing loved ones. Notably, the Indian experts sent to Nepal were part of a forensic team that previously identified victims of the Air India Flight 171 crash near Ahmedabad airport last year.
Collaborative effort
Team divided into 6 units
The Indian team, divided into six units, includes 10 experts from the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar and nine from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi.
The teams are working with Nepal Police's Central Forensic Science Laboratory and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital's Forensics Department.
"The Indian team has been deployed to support Nepal in Disaster Victim Identification," Dr SO Junare, campus director of NFSU, was quoted as saying.
Unidentified victims
Over 600 bodies still unidentified
Nepal Police officer Yog Bahadur Pal said over 600 bodies are still unidentified after the August 26 floods.
"We have collected DNA samples from their teeth, thigh bones, fingerprints, and other specific body parts," Pal reported said.
The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), administered by the FBI, is being used to match these samples with a large database already created by health department and police authorities.
International coordination
Efforts on to identify victims
Arjun Subedi of Nepal's home ministry said they are seeking help from various embassies in identifying victims.
"We have written to all embassies offering to take medical records that they send us on email too," Subedi said.
This is a crucial step as many victims are from different parts of the world and it may be difficult for them to travel to Nepal immediately.