OTTAWA — The federal government says it is working to collect DNA samples from the families of Canadians still missing in Nepal and China after a flash flood ripped through the border region last week.

Senior government officials say they are starting to collect DNA samples from the families of 29 people still considered missing, with assistance from the RCMP and police forces in Nepal and China.

The flooding on Aug. 26 killed more than 1,100 people and left roughly 4,400 missing after a glacier collapsed in the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China.

In Kathmandu, police have buried dozens of unidentified bodies in trenches because there are too many to keep or identify individually.

One Canadian was found safe, while the remaining 29 are believed to have been in the region where the flash flood occurred.

Federal officials say the situation is changing by the day and they continue to work with local authorities and the families of the missing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026.

— With files from Ian Bickis in Winnipeg

The Canadian Press Staff