Nepalese authorities have confirmed validity of DNA profiles sent by Latvia for identification of missing persons

RIGA - Nepalese authorities have confirmed receipt and validity of the DNA profiles sent regarding the 33 Latvian nationals missing in the floods, as confirmed in a video posted on social media by Jurgis Barkans, representative of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), who has just concluded a three-week assignment in Nepal.

Barkans explained that the transmission of DNA profiles to Nepalese authorities was organized in cooperation with the State Police. He emphasized that over the past few weeks, active efforts have been made to return the belongings of the missing persons, which had been left behind in hotels, to Latvia. The MFA representative explained that a company has been found to handle the transport of the belongings, and the necessary documents and authorizations are currently being processed in Latvia.

He emphasized that the belongings have been inventoried, weighed, photographed, and documented, and as soon as the necessary documents are finalized, they will be transported to Latvia. As for the belongings that no relatives have come forward to claim, as well as those that may have been confiscated during airport security screening, these will be donated - with the consent of the relatives - to a charitable organization that provides assistance to the people of Nepal.

Barkans reported that, according to data provided by the European Union (EU) delegation, 66 EU citizens are currently considered missing in Nepal, half of whom are Latvian nationals. He emphasized that during his three-week mission in Nepal, personal contacts with local authorities, cooperation partners, and embassies of other countries were maintained to ensure that the issue of Latvian nationals did not fall off the agenda.

The MFA representative explained that the Latvian side has also utilized the resources and capabilities of other countries’ embassies to obtain information about those missing. However, the information currently available to all parties involved is roughly the same.

Barkans confirmed that his return to Latvia does not mean the end of consular work. Latvia’s honorary consul will continue his work in Nepal, while the Consular Department of the MFA will continue to work together with Nepalese authorities, embassies of other countries, and the relatives of the missing persons.

The representative of the MFA emphasized that every effort will be made to provide the families with at least some answers regarding what has happened to their loved ones.

As reported, on August 26, a glacier collapsed, triggering a flow of ice debris and resulting in a flood of water and mud from a glacial lake, causing widespread damage in Nepal and China.

A large group of Latvian tourists, organized by yoga enthusiasts from the company Yantra, was also near the epicenter of the disaster, while a smaller number of Latvian tourists were in the disaster zone as part of a group organized by the local company Mighty Himalayan Trek. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has information that three Latvian citizens who were in the region at the time were not affected by the flood-induced mudslide in Nepal, but 33 are currently considered missing.