Ninh Binh completes first phase of collecting martyr remains for DNA analysis

The province has completed the collection of samples for DNA analysis at all 104 communes and wards and all 250 martyrs’ cemeteries across the province.

On August 6, Vinh Tru commune became the final locality to complete the collecting process. At Nhan Chinh Martyrs’ Cemetery in Vinh Tru, authorities collected samples from 19 graves, obtaining 17 samples. The remaining two graves did not meet the conditions required for sampling.

To date, all 7,803 graves identified for excavation across the province have been excavated, yielding 6,871 bone samples for DNA testing.

No samples could be obtained from 932 graves because the remains did not meet the required conditions for sampling. Of the samples collected, 6,027 have so far been handed over to the Military Institute of Forensic Medicine for DNA analysis.

Throughout the campaign, participating forces worked continuously, day and night, including on weekends and public holidays, to ensure the operation remained on schedule.

The sampling process was carried out under strict procedures, with only one set of remains handled at a time to prevent mix-ups and cross-contamination of DNA. Once sampling was completed, the remains were respectfully reburied in their original graves.

The completion of the first phase provided an important foundation for authorities to move forward with the next stages of the 500-day campaign.

In its second phase, Ninh Binh will focus on preparing the necessary conditions to collect DNA samples from the remains of martyrs for whom partial identifying information is available. The effort is expected to help meet the long-standing hopes and aspirations of martyrs’ relatives and families, many of whom have waited for answers for decades./.