Handling The Identification of Burn Victims in A Traffic Accident: A DVI Case Report

@#The role of the forensic pathologist in a mass disaster is to identify the victims. The procedure refers to Interpol’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) guidelines. DVI consists of 4 stages namely Scene Examination, Post-Mortem Examination, Ante-Mortem Examination, and Reconciliation. Post-Mortem (PM) and Ante-Mortem (AM) data collected include fingerprints, dental records, DNA as Primary Identifiers, medical records, and property as Secondary Identifiers. At the reconciliation stage, at least there must be a match between one Primary Identifier or two Secondary Identifiers. Theoretically, 4-phase DVI should be performed according to the DVI standard in every disaster case. In fact, the implementation of DVI encountered many obstacles in the field. This article discusses the various obstacles and problems faced when conducting DVI in the case of a car accident with a truck on the Madiun-Ngawi toll road at KM 631 A to the Madiun – Nganjuk toll road. The chronology of this incident began when the elf’s vehicle hit a truck and a concrete barrier and then caught fire. Three victims were found in a burned condition leaving only the skeleton, thigh and psoas muscle. This of course does not allow fingerprints to be checked. The identification process is carried out only by comparing primary and secondary data as an identification guide given the condition of the bodies that are only slightly left. Then DNA examination was not carried out in this identification process. Tests for CO levels showed that the three victims indicated CO poisoning before they died.

An approach for identification of individuals in a mass disaster in Indian set up.

In the changing scenario of mass disaster, which has become almost one of the stories of daily news paper, Disaster Victim Identification has become important for its medico-legal as well as nations socio-economical aspects. This expertise gives the Forensic Experts a resource advice in dealing with human identification in a simpler way in Indian context. The idea of this work was born after the Ganeswari express accident that occurred in West Bengal, in May 2010, after which the situation demeaned a discussion between the Forensic Experts, Forensic Scientists and police personnel to frame a simpler guideline for Disaster Victim Identification. The recommendations made in this paper, as well as in many cited references, are intended to provide the forensic experts the minimum guidance for victim identification by photography and storing samples suitable for DNA analysis. It also gives a guideline for matching the DNA samples with the relative of the victims that will provide better chances of victim identification.

A importância do odontolegista no processo de identificação humana de vítima de desastre em massa: sugestão de protocolo de exame técnico-pericial / The importance of forensic dentistry in human identification processes of mass disaster victims: sugestion of forensic exam protocol

Neste estudo realizou-se uma revisão da literatura à cerca da análise, sob aspecto odontológico, das identificações humanas de vítimas de desastres em massa e da atuação do perito odontolegista no sucesso deste processo. Assim, através do estudo e análises das casuísticas e da literatura, propusemos demonstrar a importância da atuação do odontolegista no processo de identificação humana e estabelecer o protocolo ideal nos exames técnico-periciais em desastres em massa, que o odontolegista deve seguir, visto que tanto na literatura nacional quanto internacional existem diversos protocolos periciais, não havendo um protocolo oficial.

In this study it had done a scientific literature review about odontology analyze of human identification of mass disaster victims and the importance of forensic dentistry acting for identification success. So through the study and analyze of casuistic and literature we propose to show the importance of forensic dentistry acting in human identification process and establish the ideal forensic exam protocol in mass disaster for forensic dentistry. How is seen in national and international literature it is observed that there are a several forensic exam protocol but there is not have an official protocol.

Anatomy in Disaster Victim Identification: Air China Crash near Kimhae Airport / 대한해부학회지

Positive identification of human remains is one of the most important tasks in mass disaster management. Intervention of highly trained anatomists is essential for the effective procedures. However, most anatomists have not so much chances and/or experiences in this field in Korea. Recently, there was an aircraft accident leaving 128 people dead or missing. Most of the bodies were severely fragmented and incinerated beyond recognition. We joined as a member of national identification team and supported identifying skeletal remains. Physical characteristics of the dead bodies were obtained through autopsies and X-ray. We also interviewed family members of the victims and collected antemortem medical and dental records. Collaboration between the different professional investigators involving anatomists, forensic pathologists, odontologists, and other scientists resulted in rapid resolution and identified 126 of the 128 victims in 26 days. This article represents diverse methods that were used and the results including DNA typing, dental records and specific anatomical or X-ray findings.

Individual Identification of Sealand Fire Accident / 대한법의학회지

Twenty-three persons including twenty kindergarten children were died when a pre-dawn fire engulfed their seaside youth training camp in Hwasong on June 30, 1999. Most of children aged six, were caught up in flames while sleeping. The identification process was done in an assembly-line fashion in which the remains were processed through pre-arranged work stations, including overall body photograph, inventory of associated remains and personal effects, dental examination (radiograph and charting), full-body radiographs and autopsy when indicated. All 23 victims were identified by the examination made on usual lines. This success was mainly due to having name list of the victims and sufficiently available ante-mortem data from next of kin. This paper would provide identification process and experience of National Institute of Scientific Investigation in mass disaster of fire accident.

Individual Identification of Sealand Fire Accident / 대한법의학회지

Twenty-three persons including twenty kindergarten children were died when a pre-dawn fire engulfed their seaside youth training camp in Hwasong on June 30, 1999. Most of children aged six, were caught up in flames while sleeping. The identification process was done in an assembly-line fashion in which the remains were processed through pre-arranged work stations, including overall body photograph, inventory of associated remains and personal effects, dental examination (radiograph and charting), full-body radiographs and autopsy when indicated. All 23 victims were identified by the examination made on usual lines. This success was mainly due to having name list of the victims and sufficiently available ante-mortem data from next of kin. This paper would provide identification process and experience of National Institute of Scientific Investigation in mass disaster of fire accident.

Review of the Estimation of Individual Identification in Mass Disaster

The individual identification of the human remains is not only essential part of forensic medicine, but also of ethical, legal and humanitarian issue in mass disaster with the steady increase in the number of identification cases involving severely fragmented, burned, decomposed or skeletonized remains in mass disasters, identification can not be made with medical and legal means, finger-prints, medical records, or personal recognition. Especially when commingling of multiple remains has occurred, forensic science teams are finding that successful resolution may often depend upon identification systems involving forensic odontology and DNA fingerprinting for various reasons. We have developed special method, skills, a documented database, and theoretical orientations for the analysis of human remains. But we have experienced difficulties because of the absence of identification system and understanding in this scientific specialty, And so we introduce identification methods and process in mass disaster.