Kathmandu: India's technical team made steady progress in rescue efforts at the Chilime tunnel in flood-hit Nepal, while the Indian forensic team has processed more than 1,200 DNA samples at two laboratories in Kathmandu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.
The MEA said the rescue efforts at Chilime have been aided by the establishment of safety rope connectivity and the introduction of a large mud pump to expedite the clearance of slush from the tunnel.
Work on a makeshift path to facilitate the movement of heavy machinery has also continued to make encouraging progress, according to the MEA.
Meanwhile, the Indian forensic team is working to identify victims, having generated around 292 DNA profiles, the MEA said.
The death toll from the Nepal floods has climbed to 1,356, with around 4,994 people still missing.
According to the latest update by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), bodies have been recovered from Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, Nawalparasi East and Nawalparasi West, including various unidentified human remains.
The update said 98 dead bodies have been handed over, while samples for DNA testing can be submitted at the concerned District Police Office along with two photographs and proof of kinship.
The 4,994 missing people include around 1,967 in Rasuwa and 2,340 in Nuwakot. Around 100 security personnel and government officials are also missing, while 587 foreign nationals are listed among the missing.
A total of 13,396 people have been rescued to date.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Beijing has asked families of Indian nationals who remain missing following the ‘devastating’ mudslide and flash flood on August 26 to submit DNA samples to assist in the identification process.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, on Monday, shared an X post by the Indian Embassy in Beijing, which said, “DNA Profile Matching for Missing Indian Nationals. Please see the press release below for details.”
The Indian Embassy in Beijing said Chinese authorities have confirmed that they are now able to receive DNA samples for Indian nationals listed as missing following the disaster.
“Following confirmation from authorities in the People's Republic of China that they are now able to receive DNA samples for Indian nationals listed as missing following the devastating mudslide and flash flood of August 26, the Embassy of India in Beijing requests the families of Indian nationals who remain missing, to submit DNA samples to assist in the identification process,” the Embassy said in a press release.
The Embassy said families willing to provide DNA information should submit the relevant data in the internationally recognised Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) format to the Indian Embassy in Beijing, which will forward it to the concerned Chinese authorities for comparison.
The Nepal government is observing a day of national mourning on Monday in memory of lives lost in the floods that struck on August 26.
The Bhotekoshi flood struck Rasuwa, causing widespread loss of life and extensive damage to homes, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities and other critical infrastructure.
The disaster also affected downstream areas along the Trishuli River, including parts of Nuwakot and Dhading, leaving communities displaced and disrupting transport, electricity, water supply and other essential services.
Search and rescue operations, relief distribution and infrastructure restoration have continued in the affected areas, with national security agencies, government authorities, local communities and international partners involved in the response.