DNA samples sought for missing Indians in Tibet after flood. How to submit details

The Indian Embassy in Beijing has asked families of missing nationals to submit DNA data after China began accepting samples. The move is meant to help identify those still unaccounted for after the August 26 Nepal-Tibet disaster.Aftermath of deadly flash floods and mudslides in Nepal. (Photo: Reuters)Amid the search for Indian nationals still missing after a devastating mudslide and flash flood near the Nepal-Tibet border, China has begun accepting DNA samples to help identify those unaccounted for. The Embassy of India in Beijing has asked families of missing Indian nationals to submit DNA information to assist Chinese authorities with the identification process.The request follows confirmation from Chinese authorities that they are now able to receive DNA samples from the families of missing foreign nationals.WHAT HAS THE INDIAN EMBASSY ASKED FAMILIES TO DO?According to a statement from the Indian Embassy in China, families willing to provide DNA information have been asked to submit the relevant data to the embassy in the internationally recognised CODIS format, which is a standard used for storing and comparing DNA profiles.The embassy will then forward the information to the concerned Chinese authorities for comparison with samples collected during the search and identification process. If a match is confirmed, the embassy will be notified and will, in turn, inform the concerned family. WHICH FAMILY MEMBERS SHOULD PROVIDE SAMPLES?The embassy has given priority to samples from the parents of a missing person. Samples from the person's spouse and children should also be collected, with samples from multiple children preferred wherever possible.If the missing person has no living parents or children, the embassy has advised families to provide samples from siblings, preferably from all siblings. Where necessary, samples can also be collected from other relatives, including maternal or paternal cousins. Families should clearly specify their relationship with the missing person when submitting the information.HOW SHOULD THE DNA DATA BE STORED?The embassy said DNA STR data is required for the collected samples. For male relatives, Y-STR data must also be included. The information should be stored in the internationally recognised CODIS format before being submitted to the embassy.Families have also been asked to label DNA samples in a specific format: "Nationality + Name and Passport Number of Missing Person + Name and Passport Number of Family Member + Sample ID Number."WHY IS DNA IDENTIFICATION IMPORTANT?Identification has become one of the biggest challenges following the disaster, with bodies recovered from flood-hit areas often severely damaged, decomposed or found only in parts after being swept downstream.In Nepal, authorities have also been collecting DNA samples from relatives of missing people to help identify unclaimed bodies and human remains. More than 1,000 unidentified bodies have been buried after samples were collected to allow identification at a later stage, officials said.The scale of the disaster has been immense. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the death toll had risen to 1,356, while 4,994 people remained missing, including at least 589 foreign nationals. A total of 13,396 people had been rescued.The flash floods were triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. Floodwaters from the Bhotekoshi River swept through communities, destroying homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.On the Chinese side, at least 43 people were killed, while more than 500 remained missing in Tibet, according to Chinese media reports.HOW CAN FAMILIES CONTACT THE EMBASSY?Families needing further guidance on the process can contact the Embassy of India in Beijing.The embassy has provided a dedicated telephone number, +86 18514284905, and email address, cons1.beijing@mea.gov.in, for assistance with the DNA submission process.The move is aimed at helping authorities establish the identities of people who remain missing after the August 26 disaster, as efforts to account for those caught in the mudslide and flash floods continue.- EndsPublished By: Satyam SinghPublished On: Sep 7, 2026 20:49 IST