Forensics Confirms All Bodies Will Be Examined

Forensic expert confirms that all bodies will be examined

PHANG-NGA: -- All the bodies of the victims of last week's tsunamis will receive thorough autopsies, Thailand's most famous forensic expert confirmed today.

Dr. Khun Ying Porntip Rojanasunun, the flamboyant Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, said that rain today had hampered the work of forensic teams working to identify the corpses, but that work to identify the bodies was continuing.

Confirming that forensic teams were now better coordinated than at the start of the rescue operation, she said that all the bodies were now being transferred to a single location to facilitate identification by relatives.

She also sought to dispel rumours that bodies were being buried in mass graves without examination, saying: "Nobody need worry about DNA examinations. People who aren't working on this shouldn't spread rumours. All corpses will receive a full autopsy. If we can't extract the DNA, the bodies will be exhumed for further examination. We need to discover who is the relative of whom. We are doing our best".

She also appealed for more body suits, boots and rubber gloves for the forensic teams, adding that the forensic workers were now exhausted from having worked continually since 26 December.

--TNA 2005-01-01