Federal government collecting DNA from families of 29 Canadians missing after Nepal flood

The federal government is working with the RCMP and police forces in Nepal and China to collect DNA samples from families of 29 people still considered missing after a devastating flood that struck the Nepal-China border region on August 26.

A glacier collapsed in the Himalayan border region, triggering a flash flood that killed more than 1,100 people and left roughly 4,400 missing. Senior government officials began collecting DNA samples to assist in identifying remains. One Canadian has been found safe; the remaining 29 Canadians believed to have been in the region where the flooding occurred are still unaccounted for.

Torontonians are among the Canadians and permanent residents missing. The Isha Foundation, a spiritual group based in India, said people from Toronto had arrived at the Nepal-China border minutes before the flooding hit.

In Kathmandu, police have buried dozens of unidentified bodies in trenches because too many bodies accumulated to keep or identify individually. Federal officials say the situation is changing by the day and continue to work with local authorities and the families of the missing. The DNA identification process timeline and expected completion date have not been announced.