Tamil Nadu: 23 give blood samples to identify Nepal flood victims

TIRUCHY: Family members of the missing Nepal flood victims from Thanjavur underwent DNA analysis on Saturday in the presence of the District Collector and the joint director of Health Services.

Out of the 305 tourists from Tamil Nadu who went on a pilgrimage to Nepal and were trapped in the August 26 tragedy, 220 have been rescued, and 85 are still missing. The State and the Centre have been making constant efforts to bring them home safely.

The Nepal government have urged nations from which the tourists belong to conduct DNA analysis of the victims' family members. Accordingly, the State government appointed officials to collect DNA details of the family members of the tourists from Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Thanjavur.

A team of doctors from Thanjavur Medical College Hospital led by Rajmohan, the joint director of the Thanjavur Regional Forensic Science department, collected blood samples from 23 family members of flood victims from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruchy and Karur. Thanjavur District Collector R Revathi monitored the drive.

"Based on the need, we would continue the collection of samples for two more days and submit the analysis report to the state government within a week," Rajmohan told reporters.

Meanwhile, Collector Revathi said the fate of the 16 tourists from Thanjavur is yet to be verified, but the district administration is in constant touch with their families and has been cooperating in tracing the victims.