DNA samples have been collected from family members of the 55 Malaysians still missing following a disaster at the Nepal-China border, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan confirmed. The samples will be sent to Nepal for DNA matching to assist authorities in identifying remains, a process expected to take considerable time due to the large number of victims involved.

Mohamad noted that Malaysia is prepared to dispatch experts from the Chemistry Department to support Nepalese authorities, if needed. He further stated that several other countries are also sending experts to assist with the identification efforts, which could help accelerate the process.

The missing Malaysians have not been accounted for since a massive wall of water and debris struck a valley along the border area on August 26. The disaster has so far claimed numerous lives, and the search for survivors and victims has entered its twelfth day. Family members of those missing are holding on to hope that DNA testing will bring answers.

One relative, M. Subramaniam, whose father-in-law Krishnan Vadivelu is among the missing, described DNA profiling as the final hope for closure. He highlighted the challenges faced by families who are still awaiting news, stressing the importance of knowing whether their loved ones survived. Subramaniam referenced the prolonged wait experienced by families of MH370 passengers and expressed hope that answers would come much sooner in this case.

“The testing will give us closure,” he said, adding that confirmation of identities would enable families to perform last rites and provide a dignified farewell if remains are found. The absence of updates on the missing Malaysians, unlike some other nationalities, has increased their anxiety.

The police have already collected DNA samples from Subramaniam’s wife and brother-in-law, both biological children of Krishnan. Subramaniam also suggested that Malaysia consider sending a forensic team to assist, similar to the deployment of experts from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority in similar situations.

Krishnan, 74, was on a pilgrimage to Kailash-Manasarovar in Tibet when the disaster occurred. Authorities in Nepal have begun burying many recovered bodies, including unidentified remains, amid challenges posed by overflowing morgues and rapid decomposition due to relatively warm daytime temperatures in Kathmandu, which have hovered above the mid-20s Celsius.

Nepali police have appealed to relatives of missing Nepali and foreign nationals to provide DNA samples to facilitate identification. Immediate blood relatives of foreign nationals are being asked to submit their DNA profiles through authorized forensic laboratories in their respective home countries, with results to be emailed directly to Nepalese authorities.