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A 10-member expert team from the Gandhinagar-based National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) departed for Nepal on Saturday evening to assist authorities in identifying victims of the devastating floods through DNA matching.
The NFSU team will undertake Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) operations at ground zero and support Nepalese authorities in establishing the identities of deceased victims. According to university officials, the operation is being conducted under the joint direction and guidance of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The delegation is led by Dr Bhargav Patel, Head of the Centre of Excellence in DNA Forensics at NFSU. The team's primary objective is to collect DNA samples from the deceased, obtain reference samples from family members and establish identities to provide accurate information to families of missing persons. The deployment comes in the wake of NFSU's experience in handling mass-casualty identification operations. During the AI-171 aircraft crash on June 12, 2025, an NFSU forensic team completed the DNA matching process for all victims within 10 days. Drawing on that experience, the team deployed to Nepal will carry out rapid, on-site DNA sample collection and identification procedures to help expedite the identification process. NFSU, described by the university as the world's first and only university dedicated exclusively to forensic sciences, has developed specialised expertise in forensic DNA analysis and disaster victim identification. The latest deployment to Nepal underscores India's forensic support capabilities in humanitarian emergencies and the growing role of DNA technology in the identification of disaster victims. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday expressed concern over the devastating floods in Nepal and said India must extend all possible assistance to the neighbouring country. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge said that safety and early return must be accorded the highest priority and urged the government to intensify rescue and evacuation efforts for Indian citizens stranded in the Himalayan nation. "I have written to PM Modi expressing my deep concern over the devastating floods in Nepal. The scale of this tragedy demands an urgent humanitarian response. India must extend all possible relief assistance to the people of Nepal and intensify rescue and evacuation efforts for our citizens stranded there," he said in a post on X. "With around 320 Indian nationals still uncontactable, their safety and early return must be accorded the highest priority. At this difficult hour, India must stand firmly with the people of Nepal and with every family anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones," he added. In his letter, Kharge said thousands of people were in urgent need of food, medicines, shelter and other essential assistance, and requested the Prime Minister to ensure that adequate humanitarian and relief aid was provided in coordination with the Government of Nepal. "I am deeply concerned about the devastating floods in Nepal, which have caused widespread loss of life and property. According to recent media reports, more than 500 people have lost their lives and nearly 1,000 people are still missing," Kharge said. "It is requested that requisite directions are issued to the concerned authorities to intensify rescue and evacuation efforts and make all necessary arrangements for their safe and early return to India. "According to the latest information from the Ministry of External Affairs, around 320 Indian nationals remain uncontactable. I hope the Government of India will take immediate steps to provide all possible assistance during this difficult time," Kharge added. Meanwhile, the death toll in the Bhote Koshi flood-related disaster in Nepal has reached 675, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). (ANI)
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