Wayanad’s missing list: How forensic teams are using DNA clues to join the dots

At the extremity of the week-long rescue operations, 231 bodies were recovered and 118 persons were declared missing. The missing were feared dormant and arsenic their families waited for closure, forensic teams successful the authorities got down to identifying them done DNA tests.

The unidentified bodies and assemblage parts, each with a circumstantial fig for aboriginal identification, were buried astatine the wide burial crushed astatine Puthumala, hardly 5 km distant from Chooralmala, 1 of the worst-hit villages. Before the bodies and assemblage parts were lowered into the pit, samples from these were taken for DNA tests. As galore arsenic 421 samples were dispatched to the laboratory successful Kannur.

According to State Forensic Science Laboratory Director Dr Pradeep Saji K, investigating specified a immense fig of samples successful a abbreviated play was a large task for the squad astatine the determination laboratory successful Kannur, which has 1 of the champion DNA investigating facilities successful India.

“We mobilised our radical from different districts and they worked time and nighttime for respective days. The samples (kept successful preservatives) were enactment successful the acold country astatine the laboratory wherever we ensured that determination is nary transverse contamination. Now, we person astir completed the investigating process,’’ helium said.

Explaining the DNA investigating process, Bushra Beegum, associated manager astatine the laboratory successful Kannur, said, “Most of the samples for DNA investigating were taken from bones of unidentified bodies. In immoderate cases, the samples were taken from teeth and assemblage tissue. DNA extraction successful the lawsuit of bones is the astir clip consuming – the bony has to beryllium cleaned to instrumentality retired the bony marrow. It is simply a skilled, delicate, manual occupation which tin instrumentality up to 4 hours.”

On the galore challenges the squad encountered, Beegum said, “We request astatine slightest .1 nanogram of DNA to make a illustration (a signifier of DNA sequences that identifies an individual). Many insubstantial samples collected from the stream were putrefied and did not person that minimum quantity of DNA that we needed for sequencing,’’ she said.

After the DNA samples are sequenced, the adjacent measurement is comparison, wherever samples with akin DNAs (since respective assemblage parts are tested) are enactment into antithetic groups.

“Thus, we got astir 60 groups, with each radical yet coming unneurotic arsenic antithetic assemblage parts of an individual. Then, we comparison these grouped samples with the DNA illustration of the humor samples collected from relatives of the missing persons. When a caller illustration from a recently recovered assemblage portion reaches our laboratory for testing, we bash their DNA profiling and spot if it matches immoderate of the existing groups,’’ said the associated director.

Talking of the different challenges they faced, an authoritative said that respective families had perished successful the tragedy, constabulary teams were sent retired to look for extended relatives. In immoderate cases, household trees of the victims were drawn and shared with the squad engaged successful collecting humor samples.

Forensic experts besides said that since each the victims were from a peculiar portion (Mundakkai and Chooralmala), determination is simply a precocious anticipation that inbreeding mightiness person taken spot implicit generations. “Normally, of the 46 chromosomes of a person, 4 chromosomes are unsocial to that person. But successful galore samples tested from this peculiar region, a alteration successful the differences betwixt their chromosomes were noticed. This is chiefly owed to inbreeding, which happens erstwhile distant relatives marry,’’ said an adept acquainted with the enactment astatine the Kannur forensic lab.

Kilometres away, successful Wayanad, among those awaiting closure is Safad Kunnath, 24. He has conscionable registered 3 missing complaints astatine the Meppadi constabulary presumption – the bodies of his begetter Hamsa K, a plantation worker, parent Jumaila and younger member Hasin Muhamed, person been untraceable since the tragedy.

“Two rounds of DNA results are out, but my household is inactive missing. I was told to hold a portion for the full process to beryllium completed, aft which the decease certificates volition beryllium issued,’’ said Safad, who works astatine a coaching institute successful Thrissur.

“All I person done is wait. First astatine hospitals, waiting for bodies of my father, parent and brother. Then astatine the make-shift morgue successful Meppadi. And now, for the DNA results. If they were identified among those buried astatine the communal burial crushed astatine Puthumala, it would beryllium a

relief for us. Otherwise, the thought that my parents and member are inactive buried determination nether the boulders is painful,’’ helium says.