South Africa: Six South Africans Remain Unaccounted for After Nepal Flash Floods

Six South African nationals remain unaccounted for, following the devastating flash floods in Nepal, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed on Thursday.

DIRCO said it had, following a formal request from the Nepalese government, arranged with the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the collection and coordination of DNA profiles from biological relatives of the missing South Africans.

The profiles were collected through the Victim Identification Centre under the SAPS Division: Detectives and Forensic Services and have been sent to police in Nepal and Interpol in Kathmandu.

South African diplomatic missions in New Delhi, India, as well in Beijing, China, are also liaising with their respective host countries to coordinate the response to the disaster.

"Regrettably, there is still no confirmation from the authorities in Nepal or China/Tibet regarding any of the six South African nationals. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates to the families as more information becomes available," DIRCO said.