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🇳🇵 Nepal /Conflict & Security

Seven bodies from September 9 fire remain unidentified as DNA profiling stalls

From Kathmandu Post · (3d ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Identification of seven bodies from a September 9 supermarket fire has stalled due to severe damage to the remains, preventing DNA profiling.
  • Police are reviewing missing persons reports to identify potential victims and are exploring international facilities for DNA analysis.
  • The condition of the bodies, reduced to ash and small bone fragments, makes post-mortem examinations and local DNA testing extremely difficult.

The Kathmandu Post reports on the grim reality facing families searching for loved ones lost in the September 9 Bhatbhateni Supermarket fire. The severely damaged state of the seven recovered bodies has created a significant hurdle in the identification process, leaving authorities and families in a state of agonizing uncertainty. The article highlights the limitations of Nepal's forensic capabilities when faced with such extreme circumstances, where even basic sample collection for DNA profiling is proving impossible.

We are reviewing missing persons reports from that time to identify possible links. Around seven to eight cases that may be related to this incident are being examined separately.

— Ramesh ThapaSenior Superintendent of Police, chief of the District Police Range, Kathmandu, explaining the ongoing efforts to identify the victims.

Senior Superintendent Ramesh Thapa's efforts to cross-reference missing persons reports underscore the police's commitment, but the severely burnt condition of the remains, described as almost entirely reduced to ash, paints a stark picture. The forensic doctor's assessment that only small bone fragments were recovered emphasizes the scale of the tragedy and the challenges ahead. The reliance on international facilities, like those in Vienna, for potential DNA analysis, points to a gap in local advanced forensic technology.

The remains were almost fully burnt, so we suggested DNA-based identification if possible. Some fragments have been stored, but there was very little usable material.

— forensic doctorDescribing the condition of the recovered bodies and the challenges for DNA analysis.

This situation is particularly distressing for Nepali families, who are accustomed to a more direct and often community-involved process for identifying victims. The prolonged wait and the technical difficulties underscore the emotional toll on those affected. The article also touches upon the need for robust forensic infrastructure, with former executive director Jeevan Prasad Rijal suggesting testing at multiple government labs and recalling a past case where international assistance was crucial. The story serves as a somber reminder of the devastating impact of the protests and the ongoing struggle for closure for the victims' families.

What remained was mostly ash that only indicated the presence of bodies.

— Kathmandu police officerDetailing the scene where the remains were found.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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