Police forensic experts may need up to a year to identify some of the fatalities from the sinking of the passenger ship MV Thomas Aquinas 1 in Cebu last August 16.
“(With) the number of relatives coupled with the number of bodies still unidentified, this can take over a year,” said Chief Inspector Benjamin Lara of the Central Visayas PNP Crime Laboratory, as reported by the Philippines News Agency.
Lara said that 23 bodies and three body parts have yet to be identified.
At least two victims were identified through dental records brought by kin.
As of last weekend, the Philippine Coast Guard said at least 81 people had died in the sinking of the MV Saint Thomas Aquinas 1.
The MV Saint Thomas Aquinas 1 sank shortly after colliding with the cargo vessel MV Sulpicio Express 7.
Of the 81, 77 were passengers and four were crewmen. The Coast Guard also said 750 had been rescued while 39 are still missing.
Lara said the Crime Laboratory has to take DNA swabs from both the remains and from relatives. The specimens will be tested in the PNP Crime Lab's Manila facilities.
Monday 26 August 2013
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/323711/news/regions/dna-testing-on-mv-thomas-aquinas-fatalities-to-take-a-year
0 comments:
Post a Comment