Finding all the missing dead bodies will be a very challenging task, which can hopefully be completed with foreign assistance, said Om Bahadur Rana, the deputy inspector general of Nepal Police.
“A lot of countries are affected by disasters. It could be any other country next time. The support has been great,” he said.
Nepal has appealed internationally for more DNA testing kits, laboratory freezers and equipment for handling human remains as it struggles with the scale of the operation.
A crisis response team from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also been in Nepal since Aug 27, searching for information on nine Singaporeans who remain missing.
Singapore authorities have collected DNA samples from the next-of-kin of the missing Singaporeans to assist with identification efforts, while officials on the ground are pursuing possible leads and working with Nepali authorities for information on their whereabouts.
“We’re chasing every possible lead, and within the constraints that are set by the Nepali authorities, we’re doing everything that we can to assist in the search of the missing Singaporeans and leaving no stone unturned,” said Joshua Lim, a first secretary (Political) at the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi.
MFA said it is in close contact with families of those missing, providing regular updates, assistance on the ground and other support.
