DNA testing to identify victims of Uttarakhand's Dharali disaster as search operations continue

DEHRADUN: In a sombre development following the devastating rain-induced calamity that struck Dharali and Harsil in Uttarakhands Uttarkashi district, authorities have confirmed that DNA testing will now be the primary method for identifying bodies recovered from beneath 15 to 20 feet of debris. Fourteen days have elapsed since the disaster, and the grim search continues for dozens still missing. The decision comes as only two bodies have been recovered so far from the mounds of mud and rubble. The first victim was found within the initial days of the disaster, while a second, believed to be an army jawan, was allegedly discovered on Monday in the swirling waters of the Bhagirathi river. DNA analysis is already underway for this latest recovery to confirm identity. The Dharali-Harsil catastrophe, triggered by intense rainfall and subsequent landslides, led to the disappearance of an estimated 68 civilians along with nine army personnel. This staggering figure was officially confirmed by the State Disaster Management Authority five days after the incident. The first body was retrieved from the debris just a day after the disaster struck. Uttarakhand rains: Jawan's body recovered 13 Days after Dharali disaster; 66 still missing The second, highly decomposed body was located on Monday at Jhala, approximately three kilometres from Harsil. While its identity remains unconfirmed due to its mutilated state, clothing found on the body suggested it belonged to an army jawan. Hopes are rapidly fading for finding more bodies intact beneath the deep layers of debris brought down by flash floods from Kheerganga and Telgad. Despite the diminishing prospects, teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Indian Army are relentlessly continuing their search operations, sifting through the treacherous landscape. Dr Kulveer Rana, Assistant Chief Medical Officer and Nodal Officer of the Health Department for the disaster-affected region, emphasised the critical shift in identification protocols. Now, any body found in the disaster-affected areas will be identified through DNA testing, he stated. The announcement also brings into focus the standard protocol for missing persons in such calamities. If a body is not recovered, individuals are typically declared deceased after 15 days, based on information provided by their respective police stations and subsequent verification.