The results of DNA profiling of the 2013 deluge victims have begun to show results with 18 bodies being identified via DNA matching, the State Police Department data revealed on Monday.
According to the State Police Department, 18 of the 191 DNA samples received have been matched. However, identification of deluge victims and search for corpses of those who went missing in the 2013 deluge continues even a year after the deluge.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) CID G S Martolia who is also the head of the Special Task Force constituted to trace the bodies in the Kedar Valley said, “The kin of only 191 victims approached the State Police with the DNA samples for the purpose of identification of the bodies".
“Now that the process of identification via DNA sampling and matching has begun to show results we expect more people to approach us with the DNA samples so that more bodies can be identified,” Mr. Martolia said.
A total of the 630 bodies have been found in the deluge-hit areas of the State, including the Kedar Valley. The DNA samples of the bodies have been sent to the Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD).
Rudraprayag District Magistrate Raghav Langer said, “Death certificates have been issued to the people missing in the deluge. The website of the State Police Department has the photographs and other data which can be accessed by the kin of the missing for the purpose of identification.”
Mr Langer added that the kin of the missing people must approach the State Police Department for the purpose of DNA matching for identification of the bodies. He added that the combing operations by the Special Task Force continued in the Kedar Valley where bodies continue to be traced.
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