Relatives of missing tourists are being asked for blood samples and photos as rescue efforts continue for trapped hydropower workers following devastating floods in the Nepal-Tibet region. Nearly a week after the floods, the death toll has surpassed 1,000, with about 600 individuals still stranded in several affected hydropower stations.
Rescue Efforts Underway
Prime Minister Balendra Shah announced that over 11,000 people have been rescued across the impacted areas, and power and communication lines have been restored in some regions. He stated, "Thousands of citizens have lost their homes, families, loved ones, and property."
As of now, 4,400 people remain unaccounted for in Nepal and Tibet. In Kathmandu, police have urged relatives of missing tourists to provide DNA samples to aid in identification efforts. In a statement on social media, Nepal police requested that relatives submit a fresh blood sample for DNA profiling along with two passport-sized photographs to the pathology laboratory at the Nepal police hospital or the nearest district police office.
Missing Tourists
Among those missing are 592 foreigners, including tourists who traveled for mountain trekking and Hindu pilgrims visiting Mount Kailash in Tibet. Relatives abroad have also been advised to undergo DNA profiling at authorized laboratories and send a soft copy of the DNA profile to the Nepal police's official email.
In flood-affected areas, many unidentified bodies have been buried due to decomposition and lack of space in hospitals or morgues. At the police hospital in Kathmandu, over 100 people were waiting to have their blood sampled. Prakaiti Jurnj, whose mother is still missing, shared her experience:
“"Both my father and mother, they were in the village in Nukawot. They were both swept away by the flood. We haven’t heard from them since Wednesday. We found my father’s body; my brother saw the photo on the wall."
