Nepal-Tibet disaster: Police seek DNA samples from families of missing Singaporeans

Nepal-Tibet disaster: Police seek DNA samples from families of missing Singaporeans Nine Singaporeans remain unaccounted for as rescue and recovery operations continue a week after the disaster, which has killed more than 1,000 people. SINGAPORE: DNA samples are being sought from family members of the Singaporeans still missing after last week's catastrophic floods on the Nepal-Tibet border. Responding to CNA's query on Wednesday (Sep 2), the Singapore Police Force said: "These samples may assist in the identification of victims, and form part of Singapore's efforts to support the Nepali authorities in their ongoing disaster relief and victim identification operations." Adding that the process was ongoing and involved the families of those affected, they could not give more details. The death toll from the Himalayan glacial floods on Tuesday crossed 1,000. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said that 987 bodies had been recovered and 3,916 people remained missing as of Tuesday morning, with 11,814 rescued. Nine Singaporeans are among those missing. The Nepali authorities have identified them as Shubakshi Rawla, Sumit Rawla, Estee Loeh, Ghosh Aditi, Ng Kit Kuen, Rajesvaran Ayyavoo, Rengarajan Prabu, Shalinny Deavy Elan Sozan and Subramaniam Diraviam. On Monday, the police said that they would deploy a team to Nepal, including officers specialising in disaster victim identification. A crisis response team from Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in Nepal since Aug 27 to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans affected by the disaster. The ministry is also in contact with the families of the affected Singaporeans. The daughters of the Rawlas told CNA last week they had received no updates from the authorities there on the rescue efforts, as they appealed for more information about their missing parents. One week after the disaster, rescue and recovery operations are still underway, with teams searching for survivors as the authorities grapple with a complex response effort across largely inaccessible terrain. Rescuers, however, have not given up hope of finding more survivors. More than 600 hydropower workers are feared trapped in tunnels north of the Nepalese town of Bidur. Officials also believe hundreds of workers are trapped at 11 hydropower projects in the hard-hit districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot.