Families of Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following flash floods and landslides in Nepal have been asked to prepare for DNA testing to help authorities identify victims.
The request was conveyed during a closed-door briefing conducted by the Foreign Ministry at Wisma Putra today, as authorities work to establish the identities of several unidentified bodies recovered from the disaster area.
Sivakumar Kalimuthu, 57, whose wife Kalai Mathe Karuppaiah, 57, remains missing, said his family had been informed that police would contact them to arrange DNA sampling.
“The police will contact us for the DNA test, and I need to gather my three children for it,” he told reporters.
He said the testing was part of preparations following the discovery of unidentified bodies in the affected area. Some of the bodies reportedly had to be buried promptly because there were insufficient suitable facilities to store them.
Sivakumar said his three children, who are in Singapore, Langkawi and Selangor, remain deeply saddened by the situation but are still holding on to hope that their mother will be found alive.
He recalled speaking to his wife, a housewife, for the last time at around 11am last Tuesday.
“My wife informed me that she and a group of 17 Malaysian tourists wanted to travel to Kailash to pray, but after that there was no further communication,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty, Sivakumar said he continued to pray for his wife’s safety and hoped she could eventually be brought home.
During the briefing, the next of kin were informed that they would be encouraged to provide DNA samples at the police contingent headquarters from tomorrow, once official notification is received.
The samples will then be cross-referenced with available information to assist in identifying victims from the disaster in Chitwan, Nepal.
The DNA identification process is expected to provide families with answers while authorities continue efforts to trace Malaysians still missing following the devastating floods and landslides.
