As of September 2, a total of 220 persons out of 305 persons from Tamil Nadu have been rescued following the Nepal flash floods, while efforts are being made to establish contact with the remaining 85 persons.
| Photo Credit: Prabhat Khanal
The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday (September 3, 2026) announced that arrangements have been made to conduct free DNA tests for relatives of pilgrims from the State, who have gone missing in Nepal during the recent flash floods, to facilitate identification.The free of cost tests will be conducted at the forensic science laboratories in the Chennai, Madurai and Thanjavur regions.According to an official release, the Tamil Nadu government has been taking coordinated efforts with the Government of India and Government of Nepal to rescue hundreds of Tamils who were stranded in Nepal due to flash floods.As of September 2, a total of 220 persons out of 305 persons from Tamil Nadu have been rescued, while efforts are being made to establish contact with the remaining 85 persons.DNA tests for willing parents or children of missing personsAs a continuation of these efforts, and to facilitate the identification of persons missing in the flash floods, the State government has arranged for the DNA tests for willing first-degree relatives such as parents or children of the missing persons, in accordance with the standard operating procedures issued by the Government of Nepal, the release said.The Tamil Nadu government has instructed the respective District Collectors to make necessary arrangements to take willing first-degree relatives of persons missing in the Nepal flash floods to any one of the regional centres nearest to them for the collection of blood samples for DNA testing, and to upload the details on the website of the Government of Nepal, the release said.Further, the Tamil Nadu government is extending all necessary assistance to relatives who wish to travel to Nepal along with the required details, the release added.News in Frames: Hope hangs in the skiesA trail of ruin: The remains of homes and other buildings are seen buried under mud and debris in a flood-hit area of Nepal.Clearing the way: Rescue workers and heavy machinery clear mud and debris in a flood-hit area of Nepal, after a devastating flash flood swept through villages in the northern part of the country.Temporary refuge: A woman feeds a child at a relief camp in Nuwakot. Nepal’s disaster authority said 4,451 people had been rescued so far and search operations are still on.Emergency care: Nepali Army doctors treat a woman at a field hospital in Battar, Nuwakot, after she was rescued from the Bhotekoshi flood.Into the field: Nepali Army rescue personnel head towards an airstrip near Nuwakot as teams remain on alert for further flooding after a debris dam burst on August 28.A long wait: Relatives search lists of missing people outside a hospital in Battar, Nuwakot, on August 28; at least 2,426 people remain missing.Rescue under way: A helicopter flies rescue missions in Rasuwa district of Nepal where many people have been stranded.Seeking answers: Relatives give the names of missing family members to officials as the search for survivors continues; among those out of contact are hundreds of foreign nationals.Tears of relief: A woman becomes emotional at a Nepali Army camp in Nuwakot after being rescued, as her injured husband is taken to Kathmandu for treatment. Her family, originally from western Nepal, ran a hotel in Rasuwa.1/3 Published - September 03, 2026 06:16 pm IST
