DNA profiling has begun in Nepal to identify unidentified bodies following a natural disaster that also affected foreign nationals. Meanwhile, search and rescue operations are continuing, and the whereabouts of 56 Ukrainian citizens have still not been established. This was reported by the Embassy of Ukraine in India, UNN writes.
On August 31, 2026, information was received from Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding DNA testing to identify unidentified bodies, which also applies to foreign nationals. The closest first-degree relatives of the missing person — father, mother, son, or daughter — are asked to provide a fresh blood sample for DNA profiling. If the relative is in Nepal, the sample may be provided at Nepal Police Hospital, Maharajgunj, Pathology Lab, Kathmandu, or at the nearest district police office; two passport-sized photographs must also be provided
For relatives who are outside Nepal, it is possible to undergo DNA profiling in their country of residence and send an electronic copy of the DNA profile to the official email address of the Nepal Police, dnacodis@nepalpolice.gov.np, for subsequent comparison with profiles obtained from unidentified bodies.
As of the morning of August 31, 2026, search and rescue operations aimed at determining the whereabouts of Ukrainian citizens who lost contact as a result of the natural disaster in the area of the Nepal–China border are continuing.
Rescue operations are being carried out by land and water, as well as with the use of heavy drones. According to Chinese state media reports, the barrier lake formed when the river channel was blocked drained naturally and effectively disappeared. At the same time, the search is being complicated by large amounts of silt and damage to infrastructure.
The Embassy is in close coordination with the competent authorities of Nepal in order to promptly monitor the situation concerning rescued persons and discovered bodies, as well as their subsequent identification. Representatives of the diplomatic mission, together with the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Nepal, are visiting hospitals and morgues to search for missing Ukrainians.
On August 30, 2026, the first bodies of deceased persons who may be connected with the natural disaster in the area of the Nepal–China border were discovered in the northern regions of India. In this regard, the Embassy of Ukraine in India raised with the Indian authorities the issue of organizing search measures and promptly informing the Ukrainian side about the discovery of bodies, personal belongings, or other objects that could help determine the whereabouts and identify Ukrainian citizens.
Following the clarification of the lists with the competent Nepalese authorities and tourism companies, the number of Ukrainian citizens whose whereabouts have not yet been established is 56.