After Nepal’s devastating floods, DNA tests help identify victims

The recent flash floods in Nepal have left authorities facing a major challenge: identifying the remains that have been recovered, some of which are in an advanced state of decomposition. For health reasons, unidentified bodies have begun to be buried. Before each burial, DNA samples are taken, while relatives of people reported missing can visit DNA collection centres to provide samples of their own. Their genetic profiles can then be compared with those of the recovered remains, in the hope…