Nepal flood victims may remain unidentified, forensic expert warns

Some of the bodies recovered from the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster may never be located, and those found might remain unidentified, according to a leading forensic scientist.

Professor Richard Bassed, who heads the forensic medicine department at Melbourne’s Monash University, highlighted the severe difficulties involved in identifying victims of the catastrophic flooding.

Bassed has extensive experience in mass fatality incidents, having spent three months in Thailand assisting with identification efforts following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. He also played a key role in identifying victims of Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

Reflecting on the Nepal-Tibet disaster, Bassed noted the unsettling nature of the event. ‘The randomness of this massive flood… That gets to you,’ he said, emphasizing the unique challenges posed by the scale and distribution of the tragedy.