Nepal floods: DNA samples collected from kin of 29 of 30 missing Gujaratis

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has completed DNA sample collection from relatives of 29 of the 30 people from the state, including Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs), who remain missing or uncontactable following the flash floods in Nepal, particularly along the Nepal-Tibet border and the Bhote Koshi River corridor, a press release said.

The samples are being processed for DNA profiling to help identify bodies and human remains recovered after the disaster. The process for the remaining case is also under way.

The Gujarat State Non-Resident Gujaratis’ Foundation (NRGF), under the NRI Division of the General Administration Department, is coordinating the DNA sample collection and assisting families with the identification procedures.

As per guidelines issued by the Government of India, designated forensic laboratories across the country are collecting and profiling DNA samples of first-degree relatives of missing persons. Following directions from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the designated laboratories will carry out the DNA profiling free of cost. Six such laboratories are located in Gujarat.

The National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on DNA profiling of samples collected in India and their coordination with the identification process in Nepal.

NRGF officials are contacting the relatives of each missing person and guiding them on designated laboratories and the procedure for DNA sample collection and profiling. The foundation is also coordinating with NRGs and relatives living abroad and obtaining details of DNA samples collected by authorities in countries including New Zealand, the United States, Canada and African nations.

In several cases, DNA samples of relatives residing abroad have already been collected by local authorities. NRGF is coordinating with the families and authorities to share the information required for the identification process in Nepal.

DNA profiling of samples collected in Gujarat is being carried out at designated laboratories in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Junagadh and Rajkot. Samples collected abroad are being processed by the respective authorities. The profiling reports are being sent directly by the designated laboratories to the Government of Nepal through official email addresses and contact numbers provided for the exercise.

The Gujarat government is coordinating with the Government of India and consular authorities in Nepal to trace people from Gujarat and Gujaratis living abroad who were reported missing or remain uncontactable following the floods.

So far, 30 people, including NRGs, remain untraceable in the flood-affected areas of Nepal.

SEOC, district administrations coordinate efforts

The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), district administrations and NRGF are jointly assisting the families of those missing. A list of missing and untraceable persons compiled by SEOC and NRGF has also been shared with the Government of Nepal.

The Nepal government launched a DNA profiling exercise to identify bodies and human remains recovered following the flash flood that struck the Bhote Koshi River area on August 26, 2026. The disaster resulted in hundreds of deaths, displaced thousands of people and caused extensive damage.

Officials said people from Ahmedabad, Anand, Banaskantha, Kheda, Gandhinagar, Surat, Valsad, Rajkot and other parts of Gujarat have been reported missing or remain out of contact. Several had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through different travel agencies and routes.

With conventional identification methods proving difficult in cases where bodies or remains cannot be readily identified, DNA profiling has become a key tool in establishing victims’ identities.

The DNA-based identification process is expected to help authorities match recovered remains with missing persons from Gujarat, other parts of India and other countries, providing families with confirmation about the status of their missing relatives. DeshGujarat