DNA testing of Rana Plaza collapse victims uncertain

The fate of DNA test to know the identities of dead bodies of Rana Plaza victims hangs in the balance as the apparel apex body and the government are allegedly trying to shift the responsibility of bearing the cost for the purpose onto each other, sources said.

According to an estimate, around Tk 5.0 million is required for carrying out the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) test for some 100 dead bodies that were recovered from rubbles of the multi-storied building at Savar. The building-collapse left at least 1,130 people killed and about 1,800 others injured.

Both the sides are still in a process of exchanging letters and documents and pushing each other for bearing the cost of the DNA test even nearly two months after the tragedy.

As a result, the families of the victims are still in the dark about whether they would either be able to know the identity of their near ones or get compensation money.

Sources said uncertainty over funding will further delay the DNA profiling process and the payment of compensation to the victims' families as well.

On May 27, the National Forensic DNA Profiling Laboratory (NFDPL) of the Dhaka Medical College, in a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka, sought the funds for DNA testing while the next day the former wrote to the ministry of labour and employment (MoLE) in this regard.

On June 12, the MoLE wrote another letter to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), urging it to provide the money.

The letter issued by the MoLE said each sampling needs Tk 5,000 and approximately 1,000 samples need to be tested.

"An amount of Tk 5.0 million will be needed for DNA profiling of 1,000 samples," the letter said.

"We have requested the BGMEA to arrange the money for DNA testing as it did the same in case of Tazreen fire victims," Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar told the FE recently.

But the BGMEA sources said a buyer contributed the money worth Tk 0.5 million for DNA testing of unidentified dead bodies of the 53 Tazreen fire victims, not the association.

BGMEA vice president Md Shahidullah Azim said the association will request the concerned authority to provide the money from the PMO fund.

When asked why the association is trying to collect the money from the PMO fund, the BGMEA leader said it is because of a co-ordinated effort to see that none is deprived.

"The PMO has all the documents and it is doing all the necessary works related to compensation and other things," he added.

Sources said the Tazreen incident involved less money while the magnitude of the Savar disaster is huge.

But none including the government, the BGMEA and the buyer groups is coming forward to take the responsibility in this regard as it needs much more money compared to that of Tazreen, they added.

Thirty seven garment workers out of 47, burnt beyond recognition in the Tazreen fire on November 24 last year, have been identified through DNA profiling.

Nazma Akhter, a labour activist said both the government and the BGMEA should stop shifting of responsibility to each other.

"The workers died not because of their faults. Both the garment owners and a section of dishonest officials in government bodies are responsible for the collapse of the building," she said. Both the BGMEA and the government have to take the responsibility in this regard for the speedy identification of those dead workers, she said.

She also called for speedy efforts to give compensation to the families of the victims.

Of the Rana Plaza collapse victims, 291 unidentified bodies out of 318 were buried at Jurain graveyard and samples of hair, teeth and nail were collected for the DNA testing by the NFDPL.

The remaining 27 bodies were handed over to relatives as per their claim while 10 bodies were again handed over to the concerned authority after finding the claimed ones alive. The process of collecting samples of those 10 bodies is going on, according to the NFDPL.

About 544 blood samples of family members and relatives of 291 dead bodies have been collected until June 16 and every day the NFDPL is collecting samples from the relatives.

The NFDPL sources said the result of DNA testing might take six months while the blood sampling takes less time.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/index.php?ref=MjBfMDZfMTlfMTNfMV8yXzE3MzU0OQ==

11 die as vehicle falls into gorge in Himachal Pradesh

Eleven people, including nine women and a child, were killed on Tuesday when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a 500-foot-deep gorge near this Himachal Pradesh picturesque resort, police said.

The victims were travelling in a commercial multi-utility vehicle from Patlikuhl when the accident occurred at Nathan village near Naggar, some 15 km from Manali, investigating officer Neel Chand Sharma told IANS.

Eleven bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of the vehicle, while six injured people have been hospitalised, he said.

Most of the victims, who were locals, died on the spot. The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, he added.

Eyewitnesses said bad condition of the road due to recent heavy rains may have caused the accident.

Governor Urmila Singh and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have expressed grief over the accident.

This was the second major accident in the state in less than a fortnight.

Nineteen people, including eight women, were killed and 13 injured when a private bus carrying them skidded off a road and fell into a 500-foot gorge in Sirmaur district on June 7.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/11-die-as-vehicle-falls-into-gorge-in-himachal-pradesh-381207

India monsoon floods toll rises to 64 people

At least 64 people are dead and tens of thousands have been left stranded after early monsoon rains caused flooding and landslides in India.

The rains are at least twice as heavy as usual in north-west and central India, with the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand the worst hit.

The Indian Air Force has scrambled a dozen helicopters to reinforce a military-backed rescue mission in Uttarakhand, often referred to as the "Land of the Gods" because of its many Hindu religious sites.

Local government officials in the state capital Dehradun say they are overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster.

"So far, we have found 54 bodies and 17 others are still missing," top disaster management official Piush Rautela told AFP.

"The situation is really very bad out there. More than 600 buildings have toppled or been swept away and there are 75,000 people including pilgrims stranded at various places."

Among the dead in Uttarakhand state are four members of the same family, who died when their home was hit by a landslide as they slept.

The rains have washed away bridges, roads, houses and multi-storey buildings in the state.

Rising water levels in some towns have also swept away cars, earthmoving equipment and even a parked helicopter.

A giant statue of Lord Shiva was submerged up to its head in the tourist hub of Rishikesh.

Roads in many areas have been destroyed, leaving hundreds of pilgrims stranded on their way to visit shrines in remote areas.

Authorities have cancelled pilgrimage trips, fearing further rains and landslides in the state.

"Right now our priority is to save as many lives as possible and the scale of destruction will be assessed later," Mr Rautela said.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-18/at-least-60-killed-in-india-monsoon-floods/4763808

More than 1,200 migrants reach Italy by boat, drownings reported

More than 1,200 migrants reached Italy over the weekend after attempting the perilous sea passage from Africa in flimsy vessels, the Italian coast guard said on Monday.

The coast guard said it had rescued most of the migrants at sea after intercepting nearly 20 boats and was still searching for others but it could not confirm reports that up to 10 people had died during the attempted crossing.

This year's first wave of summer heat has brought with it relatively calm waters, prompting impoverished immigrants desperately seeking work in the European Union to set off in rubber rafts and wooden boats. Many do not survive the passage.

Italian media reported that 95 immigrants were saved from a large raft. The survivors told of as many as 10 who had died after a Tunisian fishing boat cut loose the tuna cages it was dragging and that several immigrants were clinging onto.

"We do not have a confirmation of this," a coast guard spokeswoman said. "These are rumors from people we rescued but we found no bodies."

Italy's Foreign Ministry said it had not heard of the incident, which reportedly took place in international waters.

In 2008, a picture of 27 Somali immigrants clinging to the tuna nets of an Italian fishing boat came to symbolize a tragic summer in which many boats sank in choppy waters during the crossover, drowning unknown numbers.

Thousands of immigrants seek the southern shores of Italy every summer, when the waters in the Strait of Sicily become calm enough for small boats to make the crossing, usually from Libya or Tunisia.

They come seeking work in the EU and many do not remain in Italy. Those who do, or who are taken into Italian custody, can be sent home.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/17/us-italy-migrants-idUSBRE95G0EZ20130617

3 bodies recovered from sea after a Malaysia-bound trawler capsized in the Bay near Teknaf

Police recovered three bodies, including one woman and two children, were recovered around 10am Monday from Kochubunia area under Teknaf Upazila after an illegally Malaysia-bound trawler capsized in the Bay near Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday morning.

One of the deceased was identified as Abdur Rahman, 50, the driver of the trawler.

The trawler sank with 30 passengers, including women and children, on board. 22 of them managed to swim ashore while others went missing, locals said.

One more person is still missing since the trawler capsized early on Sunday.

Teknaf BGB 42 Battalion commander Lt Col Jahid Hasan said all of them are Rohingyas, he said.

A human trafficking gang was sending those people to Malaysia, Teknaf police said, adding that police arrested three members of the gang in this connection.

Mohammad Farhad, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, confirmed the incident.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/six-bodies-found-in-bay/

Collecting DNA is next step in Dozier mass grave probe

Sen. Bill Nelson's office announced Thursday that DNA testing is set to begin in the search for identities of remains in graves at Dozier.

Researchers will try to match DNA samples taken from the living relatives of boys buried on the grounds of the now-closed Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna. According to a press release from Nelson’s office, this is an important next step in solving the mysteries behind dozens of unmarked graves found at the site.

Forensic experts from the University of South Florida were to begin collecting DNA samples Friday from relatives they’ve identified through historical records or who have come forward during the school's ongoing investigation.

Over the years, the reform school has been the subject of several investigations stemming from allegations of abuse. Florida officials closed the school in 2011 following a state police probe into the latest such allegations that found no evidence of any crimes.

That probe was called into question late last year when a USF forensic team began examining the site and found more unmarked graves than police had said were there.

Nelson is pushing the school’s application for a Department of Justice grant he helped identify that would cover the costs associated with forensic research involving the use of DNA to identify missing or dead persons. Up to $3 million will reportedly be awarded to select applicants.

Last month, Circuit Judge Bill Wright rejected a request by state Attorney General Pam Bondi to grant a local medical examiner permission to exhume the bodies buried on school grounds. In his order, Wright wrote that either the local medical examiner or the state’s chief archaeologist could initiate exhumation without court permission. USF is now seeking permission from the state's chief archaeologist.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

http://www.jcfloridan.com/news/article_5128247a-d79a-11e2-9419-001a4bcf6878.html

Five more Monsoon victims recovered from near Kedarnath shrine, toll 13

Authorities in Chamoli district said the toll may climb as about 50 persons from different villages in the area are missing and rescue operations are on.

Five more bodies were recovered on Monday from near the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath, taking the toll in the torrential rains lashing Uttarakhand to 13 even as the chardham yatra remained suspended for the second day due to landslips.

Authorities in Chamoli district said the toll may climb as about 50 persons from different villages in the area are missing and rescue operations are on.

They said five bodies were recovered from Basukital adjoining Kedarnath.

The Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath motor way and pedestrian routes are blocked at about a dozen places by rocks and boulders that have come down as part of the debris from collapsed houses and landslides triggered by rains continuing for the last 36 hours.

The rains have triggered flashfloods in the Ganga, Yamuna and their tributaries at most of the places sweeping away a number of bridges, roads and buildings.

The swirling waters of Assiganga, a tributary of the Ganga, has swept away several buildings including a four storeyed house which had been vacated in advance and a temple.

Eight persons were killed yesterday in three separate incidents of house collapse in Dehradun and landslips in Rudraprayag districts.

Heavy rains caused a house at New Mithi Beri in Prem Nagar area of the city to cave in yesterday and five persons were killed and six injured after being hit by landslips in Rudrapayag district.

Four of them were killed near Bhim Gali at Rambara on Kedarnath pedestrian route while one was hit by a landslide near Gaurikund which is on way to Kedarnath, she said.

Five stationary buses, a truck and one JCB have been swept away in the flash floods in Uttarkashi district.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1849279/report-five-more-bodies-recovered-from-near-kedarnath-shrine-toll-13