DNA Samples Sought From Families Of Indians Missing After China Floods

BEIJING-The Embassy of India in Beijing on September 7 requested families of Indian nationals who remain missing following the devastating mudslide and flash flood of August 26 to submit DNA samples to assist in the identification process.

The Embassy requested families to provide the relevant DNA data in the internationally recognized CODIS format and submit it to the Embassy. It said the data would be forwarded to the concerned Chinese authorities for comparison and that families would be informed if there was a confirmed match.

On August 30, the Embassy said authorities in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) had set up two dedicated 24-hour English-language hotlines to assist families seeking information about missing foreign nationals following the flash floods and mudslides in the region.

The Embassy shared the two numbers through which families can seek information. The hotlines can be reached at 0086-891-6817165 and 0086-183-0802-6705.

The latest advisory comes amid a devastating natural disaster that has caused widespread destruction across Tibet and neighboring Nepal. Catastrophic flash floods and mudslides, triggered by the collapse of a Himalayan glacier, have severely affected areas along the China-Nepal border. (IANS)