Govt to keep DNA profile, photographs of unidentified victims

A view shows the damaged houses next to a river after heavy rains in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in this June 23, 2013 handout provided by the Indian Ministry of Defence. Flash floods and landslides unleashed by early monsoon rains have killed at least 560 people in Uttarakhand and left tens of thousands missing, officials said on Saturday, with the death toll expected to rise significantly. Picture taken June 23, 2013. REUTERS

All unidentified victims of the Uttarakhand disaster will be photographed and their DNA profiles kept in safe custody to help family members identify them in future.

As many of the 822 people who lost their lives following the rains and floods in Uttarakhand were yet to be identified, the government has decided to take photographs of all deceased and keep their DNA profile before their last rites, official sources said.

The decision to keep the records of every unidentified victim has been taken to help anyone who may come in future looking for them.

However, if the toll increases very substantially, the Uttarakhand government may take help of central forensic organisations in this task, the sources said.

DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier.

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