Wayanad landslides: State govt issues guidelines for burial of remains

As more and more bodies and body parts are recovered from the landslide-hit areas of this north Kerala district with many remaining unidentified or unclaimed, the state government has issued guidelines, including collection of DNA and dental samples, for burial of the remains.

According to the guidelines issued by the Disaster Management Department, an identification number shall be assigned to each body or body part and the same shall be clearly mentioned in all the samples, photographs or videos of the remains and the record of material objects associated with the body.

It further said that police shall make all possible efforts to identify the bodies or body parts and if identification was not possible, they shall release the body to the district administration for further action after 72 hours from the time of inquest.

"The district administration shall inform Meppadi panchayat and the panchayat or municipality in which the burial site is located. In cases where the doctor ...