KATHMANDU, Sept. 2 -- Nepal has begun collecting DNA samples from relatives of people missing after last week's devastating floods, offering families a way to identify loved ones as authorities struggle with the sheer number of victims, The Guardian reported.

More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 4,000 remain missing, while hundreds of bodies have been buried as morgues run out of space, according to the UK newspaper reporting from onsite.

More than 100 relatives gathered at a Kathmandu hospital on Tuesday to provide blood samples, with authorities also asking families overseas to submit DNA profiles.

Among them was 19-year-old Prakrit Gurung, whose father has been identified but whose mother remains missing.

Guru...