Uttarakhand floods: DNA of unidentified bodies being preserved
The DNA of those who died in calamity-hit Uttarakhand and now cannot be identified is being preserved, with officials saying that many of the bodies have decomposed.
|Last Updated: Jun 24, 2013, 09:35 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Dehradun: The DNA of those who died in calamity-hit Uttarakhand and now cannot be identified is being preserved, with officials saying that many of the bodies have decomposed.
Officials of the state government, with forensic experts, sub divisional magistrates and the police officials have now started an operation to identify dead bodies and in cases where they cannot, preserve their DNA.
The officials reached Gaurikund and Kedarnath and said that some bodies had decomposed and stood no chance of being recognised.
"Things are in a mess, many bodies have been eaten up by dogs, many have decomposed and many are lying buried under the debris, mud and boulders," said an official.
With people and pilgrims stranded at the Kedar valley completely evacuated Sunday, the Army and other authorities involved in the rescue would Monday begin to focus on people still caught up in Badrinath and Harsil, officials said.
Officials told a news agency that the death toll and trail of devastation would now become more harrowing as rescuers spend their energy on fishing out the dead from the Kedar valley and the nearby areas.
"Dozens of villages, several vehicle parking lots where cars were parked with the drivers inside have been washed away in the torrential rains...there must be hundreds missing from there," the official said.
A day after Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna feared that 1,000 people might have been killed in the calamity, the state`s Disaster Management Minister Yashpal Arya put the death toll at "at least 5,000".
Interacting with reporters at the Jolly Grant airport in the state capital, Arya said: "At least 5,000 people must have been killed in the deluge, we cannot say with surety but the number can go even higher."
People returning to safety from the rain ravaged areas put the number of dead at "many thousands (with) many (who) died of cold, illness, lack of food and water".
Snehil Gupta, a youth who had gone to Kedarnath from Uttarakhand told a news agency that he had seen "...people dead on road sides, in jungles and in villages" as he trekked his way to safety on a hill with two of his friends. His car and driver are yet untraced.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.