Gumla: The Lohardaga administration has started collecting blood samples from family members of the workers missing and feared dead in the glacier burst at Chamoli district in Uttarakhand earlier this month. The DNAs from the collected samples will be matched with the bodies recovered from the mishap site to establish the identities of those hailing from the district.
A total of 14 workers from the state -- nine from Lohardaga, four from Ramgarh and one from Bokaro -- went missing in the tragedy. So far, four persons from Lohardaga and one from Bokaro were identified among the dead. Bodies of the remaining persons, who are believed to have died, are yet to be identified.
Sadar hospital staff Shambhu Chaudhary collected the samples after Lohardaga DC Dilip Kumar Toppo issued a directed in this regard. Later, Chaudhary said, "The samples will be tested in Ranchi and the reports will be sent to Chamoli for matching with those from the bodies recovered from the mishap site."
Toppo said, "We want to be doubly sure in identifying the bodies with the DNA tests. It will help in giving compensation to the bereaved family members and completing legal formalities in future."
He added, "Efforts are also on to help the family members like giving them jobs or houses apart from the compensation."