DVI News 2 January 2011
04/Jan/2012
Prigi-Trenggalek- East Java - 85 human remains recovered - 112 still missingThe Indonesian DVI has commenced operation on the sinking of the boat carrying asylum seekers in Prigi-Trenggalek- East Java area. Initial information reports around 215 passengers on board; 47 survivors; 85 human remains recovered from southern part of east Java and 18 from Bali area; around 112 still missing.
The operation is under the command of East Java DVI Team Leader, Dr Didi Agus Mintadi, assisted by the local DVI team, and involving DVI team from Central Java (2 Forensic Pathologist and 1 assistant) and the HQ (1 AM team leader and 1 DNA expert), including some Forensic team from university of Indonesia (Jakarta) , Airlangga (Surabaya), Gajahmada (Yogyakarta), and Diponegoro (Semarang).
PM examination centralized in Surabaya Police Hospital (85 remains) and Sanglah General Hospital (Bali) (18remains).
All Ante Mortem collection data centralized in Surabaya Police Hospital.
Indonesia DVI is still developing AM data from the relatives, embassies, and other sources.
All Post Mortem examination had been done for all remains recovered.
Identification of the deceased is further complicated in that the victims are suspected illegal migrants and therefore most of them without proper ID. The survivors mostly tried to hide their identity and any other information regarding their journey.
Indonesia DVI has collected about 100 reports of missing persons, but some of them are in relation to the same remains.
Currently there is not enough information to be compared to PM data.
On the afternoon of the 27th December 2011reconciliation meetings commenced. Due to minimum AM data available at this time only 1 of the victims has been identified.
Some assistance has been provided by the AFP and Australian government.
The victims are suspected coming from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan.
Thanks to Dr Anton Castilani, Executive Director of Indonesian DVI, for the update.
National ID system to help recognize disaster victims
26 December 2011. Philippines.
The National Bureau of Investigation Disaster Victim Identification Team (NBI-DVI) believes a national ID system would help future efforts in identifying victims of disasters.
Speaking on ANC's "Headstart," NBI Medico Legal Officer Doctor Wilfredo Tierra suggested the creation of a national database of medical and dental files to help future identification efforts.
"We also suggest to the national government, kahit government employees magka-dental exam by the city or municipal dentist for complete dental file."
The suggestion came as NBI-DVI teams in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan enter the second stage of identifying victims of Tropical Storm Sendong disaster victims, which involves post-mortem or the full examination of dead bodies, checking of dental records, finger printing, and harvesting of DNA samples
He noted their work is hampered by limited tools to properly identify the victims.
"It's very discouraging initially, because in this kind of case, almost all of the family members were wiped out, how do you compare the DNA sample? All the houses were destroyed. Where are the fingerprints? Who knows who their dentist was?” Tierra said.
He recalled some hard decisions he had to make including closing off viewing for flood victims' relatives in Cagayan de Oro to make room for more accurate scientific identification, and ruling out a mass burial in favor of a temporary burial for the unidentified remains.
They have already buried at least 88 bodies that have gone through proper processing
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-
Mum and three daughters killed in fire
26 December 2011. Qld – Australia.
A fire at a Sunshine Coast home has killed the wife of celebrity chef Matt Golinski and their three children, and left Golinski critically injured.
Fire crews were called to the home at Jacaranda Place in Tewantin around 3.30am (AEST) on Monday, finding the home engulfed in flames when they arrived.
The blaze was controlled by 4.35am (AEST), but the home was completely destroyed.
His wife, Rachel Golinski, and their three daughters were killed in the fire.
http://www.skynews.com.au/
Santa Claus killings: Financially strapped dad planned family massacre
26 December 2011. Texas, USA.
A father dressed as Santa Claus arrived to his family's Christmas party with two guns, executed his entire family and then killed himself -- and planned the entire thing, police said Tuesday.
Police believe the Christmas Day massacre in Grapevine, Texas, which left seven people dead still surrounded by Christmas presents and wrapping paper, was premeditated, Grapevine Police Sgt. Robert Eberling said.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Grapevine police officially released the name of the gunman and his victims
Police will wait for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner to release the identities of the victims
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_
Efforts on to repatriate survivors
28 December 2011. Indonesia.
With 200 passengers now believed to be dead, efforts are afoot to repatriate Pakistani survivors of last week’s boat tragedy in Indonesian waters.
The Pakistani Embassy in Indonesia is making arrangements to help out the survivors and to get custody of the recovered bodies, revealed a message sent on Tuesday to Islamabad by the embassy in Jakarta
The embassy team visited the Police Hospital, Surabaya on December 23 and met with Police High Commissioner Dr Didi Agus Mintadi and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Department, Jakarta Executive Director Dr Anton Castilani.
Dr Mintadi requested the head of the consular team to provide photographs, fingerprints/dental records and DNA reports of the parents of the deceased for matching and reconciling the same with the records obtained from each body.
Some of the survivors may be allowed to visit the hospital mortuary to identify the bodies, Head of Chancery Zafar Iqbal said. While Dr Mintadi welcomed the suggestion, he was not able to arrange the facility. All the bodies have been bagged after post-mortem and would now only be opened after the data match.
Nationalities of the deceased have not been disclosed so far.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/
Murder Victims Unearthed in Northern Mexico
28 December 2011.
Three clandestine graves found in a rural area of northern Mexico contain the remains of at least eight people slain by underworld gunmen, Nuevo Leon state authorities said.
The graves were discovered Tuesday outside Linares.
Medical examiners and investigators working at the site had recovered complete remains of two people by nightfall and said they expected to unearth at least six more bodies.
http://laht.com/article.asp?
NBI blamed for ‘dumping’ of dead bodies
29 December 2011. Philippines.
Feeling the heat of criticisms over the dumping of dead bodies at the city’s landfill, Mayor Vicente Emano claimed the decision was upon the recommendation of forensic experts.
“It was the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) who suggested to put the dead bodies temporarily at the landfill. I was even surprised upon learning this. That’s why we requested Mr. (Henry) Sy of Napocor (National Power Corporation) to use their hangar,” Emano said in his radio program Sunday
Surprised of Emano’s claim, medico legal officer and team leader of the group Dr. Wilfredo E. Tierra vehemently denied the mayor’s claim, saying he and his team were surprised when they arrived in the city to see the cadavers dumped at the landfill in Barangay Carmen.
Tierra said it was his team who suggested using the hangar of Napocor to accommodate the dead bodies.
NBI Northern Mindanao Regional Director lawyer Jose Justo Yap said he was also surprised when he learned about Mayor Emano’s statement.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
Bulloch County house fire victims identified
29 December 2011. USA.
A Bulloch County man, his wife and two children were killed Wednesday morning in a house fire.
Fire crews discovered the bodies inside the home.
Family members identified the victims. The bodies were transferred to the Bulloch County coroner so they can be sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's coastal regional lab for an autopsy.
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/
Forensic experts to hold ‘ante mortem’ on victims’ relatives
29 December 2011. Philippines.
THE team of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who conducted the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) on those who died in the flash flood said Thursday it would be conducting the ante mortem phase after completing the second phase of the forensic examinations.
NBI-Northern Mindanao Medico Legal Officer Dr. Tommy Uy said those who have missing family members or relatives may visit the NBI’s regional and district office starting January 3, 2012 for the conduct of the ante mortem examination.
As of 8:00 a.m. Thursday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Northern Mindanao said at least 1,395 died in the flash flood in Cagayan de Oro, 225 were injured and 555 still missing; while in Iligan City, at least 1,670 have been reported dead, 887 injured and 407 persons still missing.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
Queensland records most deaths from house fires in memory - up from seven to 27.
29 December 2011. Australia.
In 2011 Queensland recorded the most deaths from house fires in memory.
There were almost four times as many fatalities from residential fires this year as last year - up from seven to 27.
The number included the 11 members of an extended family who died at Slacks Creek in Brisbane's south in August and four members of the Golinksi family in their Sunshine Coast home on Boxing Day.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/
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