Tunnel rescue bring a challenge
NEW DELHI: A forensic team from India has begun analysing DNA samples in Nepal, as rescue teams continue the search for people missing after catastrophic flash floods swept through the Himalayan region on August 26. In an X post, India In Nepal wrote, “The 19-member Indian Forensic Team began DNA sample analysis in collaboration with their Nepali counterparts at the Nepal Police Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the National Forensic Science Laboratory, Khumaltar, Kathmandu. Death toll stands at 1,050 The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,050 on Tuesday, with security forces recovering more bodies from eight districts, news agency PTI reported.
The Embassy of India said the team was working to expedite DNA sample processing to help identify people affected by the floods. The effort comes as authorities deal with a large number of recovered bodies and thousands of people still unaccounted for.
Nearly 4,000 people, including 583 foreigners and 83 security personnel, remain missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Around 12,000 people have been rescued so far. At least 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects, with around 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels, AP reported.
Maharjan told AP that thermal drones had been deployed in the search, but many tunnels were completely filled with mud, making it difficult to detect signs of life. “We found tunnels were filled with mud like toothpaste in a tube,” Maharjan said. Maharjan said operating drones inside tunnels was possible only where passages were long and straight.
Mass burials were also performed for unidentified flood victims in Kathmandu. Drones search for workers trapped underground Meanwhile, drone pilot Manish Maharjan has been helping Nepal Army rescue teams search for missing people, including workers believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels buried under mud and debris. “There was no hollow or empty space inside. Bends, turns and zigzags made it difficult to navigate and search effectively. With rescue teams still struggling to reach isolated areas, authorities fear the death toll could rise further as search operations continue across the disaster-hit region. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.