Indian relatives continue search for missing after ‘Himalayan Tsunami’

The pilgrims came seeking salvation and a place in heaven, but now their faces stare from banners and tatty flyers tacked to gates and walls of Indian villages and hill-towns.

Some are children, smiling as they pose between parents; others are elderly couples standing side-by-side looking into the camera. Many posters show groups from the same family and some offer rewards of up to 200,000 rupees ($3,340).

All carry the names of those pictured and a telephone number. All have one word in common: “Missing.”

A month ago, India’s Himalayan region of Uttarakhand was lashed by its heaviest rainfall on record, causing glacier lakes and rivers to burst their banks and inundate towns and villages.

Now authorities say there is little hope of finding alive the 5,748 people declared to be missing from the disaster, making it the deadliest ever in the mountainous region.

“Three generations of my family were there. What am I going to do now?” asked P.C. Kabra, a middle-aged civil servant searching for any sign of 15 relatives at the main police station in the hill-town of Dehradun.

Kabra, from the city of Lucknow, told how he lost contact with his family, including his mother, two brothers, sisters, their spouses and children, when the floods struck the Kedarnath Valley at the heart of the disaster.

“I last spoke to my elder brother on June 17 at 6 o’clock in the morning. He called me and was screaming, ‘There is water everywhere. We are in danger, please help us,’” said Kabra, who has been hoping against hope as he scours the area’s hospitals.

“The phone disconnected after that and I haven’t been able to get through since then,” he said, lifting black-rimmed glasses to wipe away tears.

The disaster affected not just inhabitants but the tens of thousands of devotees who flock each year on a pilgrimage to the temple towns of Kedarnath, Gangotri, Badrinath and Yamunotri.

Authorities say a significant percentage of the missing were pilgrims, like Kabra’s relatives, who came from other parts of India. Many pilgrims and residents were stranded for days but military rescuers pulled more than 100,000 of them to safety.

The flash floods and landslides washed away or damaged 5,000 roads, 200 bridges and innumerable buildings on river banks. But with many roads still blocked, some areas are only reachable by air.

The calamity was a “Himalayan tsunami” that brought death and destruction to a rugged terrain sprawling over 37,000 sq. km, said Vijay Bahuguna, chief minister of the state of Uttarakhand that suffered the brunt.

“We are not getting into the controversy whether the missing persons are dead or not,” said Bahuguna. “We are abiding by what the families of the victims say, and if they think that they haven’t come back and have no hope as well, [then] we are providing them monetary relief.”

Without a body, Indian law does not allow a person to be declared dead until seven years have elapsed, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a weekend interview.

Even so, the death toll is likely to be too low, say aid workers and people living in the disaster zone, who say more than 10,000 people were in the area when the floods struck.

Air force pilots, who were operating more than 40 helicopters at the peak of the search, have had to negotiate narrow valleys, sometimes flanked with dense forest, and unpredictable mountain weather. Two helicopters have crashed during the rescue and 20 servicemen killed.

While Bahuguna said it was still possible some of the injured had taken refuge in mountain villages cut off from telecommunications, air force officials did not think that was likely.

“Even if people had managed to climb up the mountains to avoid the deluge, there is no way they could have survived in these wild forests for a month,” said Air Commodore Rajesh Isser, who is heading air force operations.

Government officials say most deaths occurred in the narrow, 14-km Kedarnath Valley, with its temple town dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, whose role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it.

At the time of the disaster, officials say there were about 5,000 registered inhabitants. But there are no records of the number of pilgrims and migrant workers, many from Nepal, who work in hotels, restaurants and as porters in the region.

The area is still only accessible by helicopters that have been flying in paramilitary and army personnel, medical experts and other officials trying to locate, identify and dispose of decomposing corpses buried in mounds of sludge.

Doctors have been photographing bodies, collecting any documents or personal possessions which can be used to identify them, and taking DNA samples.

But the final figures of the dead may never be known, with many bodies believed to have been carried away by the torrents and buried deep in mud and sludge.

Some relatives grieve that this will leave them no chance of performing last rites for their loved ones. The 500,000 rupees ($8,347) compensation from the government is scant comfort.

“The money is not important,” said Kabra. “It’s hard to accept that my relatives will be presumed dead. Whatever the government says, I will keep looking for them. I have to have hope, otherwise I have nothing.”

Tuesday 16 July 2013

http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/40129

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Forensic experts shed light on daunting task of recovering bodies in Lac-Megantic

Forget about the glamour suggested by such TV shows as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and their high-tech gizmos. The most vital tools in Lac-Megantic include keen eyes, expertise and persistence.

Nothing is left to chance in the work to bring the dead back to their loved ones.

"Those poor guys are on their hands and knees, wading through soot," said Dr. Bill Inkster, an identification specialist with the British Columbia coroner's office.

"They look like 17th century coal miners by now, I'm sure, and brushing ashes (away) with paint brushes," he said in a telephone interview from Burnaby. "It's just plain hard work — meticulous, slow."

Search and rescue teams including specially trained police, firefighters and forensic anthropologists have been combing the debris in staggering heat for more than a week since Canada's worst railway disaster, so far resulting in the recovery of 37 bodies.

Of those, 11 have been identified at this point.

When searchers believe they've found remains a forensic anthropologist, such as seen in the TV show "Bones," is called in to determine it is in fact a body. Afterward, the coroner is notified so the process of removing it, then identifying it, can begin.

Crews have an array of equipment at their disposal.

Some is as simple as a basic shovel or a brush. In other cases, it can involve huge construction excavators that can gingerly pick apart buildings making it safe for search crews to enter.

A chunk of Lac-Megantic's downtown core, which was dotted with bars, stores and homes, was obliterated early on the morning of July 6 when a runaway train loaded with oil derailed and exploded.

A tense vigil has been maintained in the days since as relatives and friends await word of their loved ones, now mainly to confirm their worst fears.

"The initial search is beyond comprehension," said Inkster, who was part of the team of specialists that worked in Thailand in the wake of the 2004 tsunami.

"It's going to be incredibly complex."

The director of the forensic-science program at the University of Toronto says a carefully co-ordinated team approach is being used in Lac-Megantic.

"The approach that's going to be taken is very similar to an archeological excavation, where you go through layer by layer, sorting and screening and carefully removing each level of debris searching for the human remains that may be embedded within," Tracy Rogers said.

Rogers, who helped identify remains found at the notorious B.C. pig farm of serial killer Robert Pickton in 2002-2003, said crews working in Lac-Megantic have to proceed carefully — not just to preserve remains and evidence but to protect themselves.

"They've got toxic areas, they've got hot spots. They've got all sorts of different things they have to address that's important for the safety of the searchers. When you have something like buildings going down, you get levels and levels of debris."

While the digging goes on, other experts come at the task from a different angle.

Police, for example, build a detailed missing-person profile that looks not only at the person's description but habits, such as where they were last seen or had they frequented spots in the disaster zone such as a favourite bar.

Authorities have also urged families of the missing to provide such things as tooth and hair brushes so they could get DNA samples.

Biological samples are taken from other family members for comparison, said Inkster. Medical records are invaluable, particularly x-rays and dental records.

While DNA can be compromised, teeth "definitely tend to survive," Inkster said.

"The two things that degrade DNA quickly are exposure to water and heat," said Inkster. "(But) enamel's the hardest thing in the body."

Yet DNA can't be underestimated and can be drawn from very small samples, said Rogers.

X-rays can provide invaluable clues.

"There are parts of the skeleton that are unique to the individuals," Rogers said.

For example, she pointed to the frontal sinuses, where most sinus infection occur.

Those spaces in the bone of the forehead are particular to their owner, like a set of fingerprints. However, their use in identification would rely on matching them to an X-ray that was done when the victim was alive.

Depending on what part of the skeleton is recovered it can also reveal an age-range, sex, ancestry and height, she said, which helps add potential pieces to the puzzle.

Geographic analysis also plays a role.

Obviously clues can be drawn to a body's identity when it's found in a specific house — such as the victim's own — and when looking at a timeline of where people went and were last seen.

Another challenge in such a catastrophic scene is separating the debris from the remains.

Both scientists agreed it takes expertise to tell the difference.

"It is very difficult," Rogers said.

"Different materials burn differently, leaving different kinds of residue or appearances. Sometimes it's that experience of looking for the difference in the texture that helps signal (that) this is not charred wood."

Both experts stressed that nothing is taken for granted and when a formal identification is announced, it is only done when the coroner is 100 per cent sure.

"That's why the biological evidence is so important."

And they added that even when it's impossible to identify someone, DNA is kept on file and periodically retested in hopes that a fresh set of eyes or new technology might provide an answer.

Inkster, who with his partner helped develop Canada's first database for unidentified remains and missing persons, said the Lac-Megantic disaster is unlike anything members of the Quebec team have ever practised or expected.

He was unshakable in his confidence that they would prevail.

"They'll absolutely get the job done, one way or another," he said. "I know they will. They're just excellent people."

Tuesday 16 July 2013

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/national/Forensic+experts+shed+light+daunting+task+recovering/8664838/story.html

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Lac-Mégantic death toll climbs to 37

Quebec provincial police say they have recovered the bodies of two additional victims in Lac-Mégantic, bringing the total found to 37.

Sûreté du Québec Insp. Michel Forget said Monday that emergency crews have been searching the disaster site every day from early in the morning to sunset, working 15 minute shifts because of the extreme heat.

A combination of hot weather and heat radiating from the blast zone brought the temperature to 52 C today in certain areas where crews were digging, said Forget.

He said one emergency worker received medical treatment for a minor heat-related illness.

"The conditions were extremely difficult, but we still carried out the work," said Forget.

At a press conference, Forget said crews are searching for approximately 50 people missing and presumed dead, leaving about 13 bodies still not found.

He said they have completed their search of the site of the Musi-Café — a popular bar where many of the victims are thought to have been the night of the blast.

The Quebec coroner's office said it has confirmed the identity of another two victims and are currently notifying the families. The coroner's office spokesperson, Geneviève Guilbault, said it is impossible to know how long it will be before the bodies of the victims can be released to their families, because of the ongoing investigation.

The coroner's office says it has identified 11 victims so far.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2013/07/15/quebec-lac-megantic-rail-disaster.html

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Search for survivors after asylum seeker boat capsizes near Christmas Island

At least two asylum-seekers are dead and grave fears are held for up to 60 others after an asylum boat carrying as many as 180 people sank north of Christmas Island as Customs and Border Protection crews were trying to assist it.

About 120 people were successfully pulled from the water in a major rescue operation by HMAS Albany and HMAS Warramunga after the vessel floundered at 7pm, AEST.

The Australian understands HMAS Albany raced to the aid of the boat, which had issued distress calls about 60-70 nautical miles north of Christmas Island.

In seas described as "rough", authorities were assisting the boat when it gradually began to sink.

It is understood Customs and Border Protection retrieved the bodies of at least two asylum-seekers and rescued about 120 people from the water.

The search and rescue operation is continuing.

The incident comes five days after nine asylum-seekers, including a one-year-old boy, died when their asylum boat sank off Christmas Island.

It was not clear what caused tonight's sinking. However, the large number of passengers suggest the boat may have been overloaded. In recent weeks, people-smugglers have been loading up their vessels with larger numbers of passengers in an apparent bid to bid to get as many customers to Australia ahead of a possible crackdown.

The latest boat emergency came as both sides of politics seized on comments by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa about the Coalition's policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats.

The opposition's immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, said a Coalition government would not need Indonesia's co-operation to turn back asylum-seeker boats.

"The Coalition is not seeking the agreement of Indonesia," Mr Morrison said. He added that Kevin Rudd had effectively handed Jakarta veto powers on Australia's border protection policy. Mr Morrison accused Foreign Minister Bob Carr of "standing over" his Indonesian counterpart, by using "union-style, Sussex Street-style diplomacy" to persuade him to declare on Monday night that Indonesia would not support the opposition's plan to turn back boats because that would be unilateral action.

Earlier in the day, Dr Natalegawa had indicated that Indonesia would be willing to discuss the Coalition policy.

Asked on the Ten Network late on Monday to clarify his position, Dr Natalegawa, who appeared alongside Senator Carr, responded: "Now, if I was asked whether we support or not support the push-back-the-boat policy, clearly in our perspective such a policy would constitute a unilateral type of measure that we do not support."

Mr Morrison said Dr Natalegawa was entitled to his opinion but it was not up to Indonesia to set Australia's foreign policy.

A spokesman for Senator Carr said: "Mr Morrison's suggestion is false (and) patronising and shows he has no respect for or understanding of Indonesia."

The government hopes to announce within weeks a package of border protection measures involving regional nations.

Earlier today, the Australian Navy responded to another high-seas emergency off Christmas Island as the captain of a vessel rescued after 12 hours in the ocean was delivered safely to Christmas Island.

Immigration officials on the Australian territory were preparing for a busy day of arrivals when the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Co-ordination Centre issued a mayday call that a fishing vessel carrying 120 people was "holed and requiring immediate assistance" en route to Christmas Island. Detention facilities there have been operating above contingency capacity for weeks.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/two-dead-and-60-missing-as-another-boat-goes-down/story-fn59niix-1226680415495

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Jewelry, rubber bands used to identify dead

One of the women killed in flash floods and landslides in the Indian Himalayas last month was found clutching a thin rubber band with a few safety pins.

Police are using these items to help identify the woman, aged 55-60. Her body was found near Kedarnath Temple, a pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand and one of the places hardest hit by the mid-June floods.

Investigators are trying to identify nearly 200 bodies recovered from the floods. State government officials Monday said more than 5,700 people are still missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing but the missing are presumed dead.

Bodies that have been recovered have been cremated, because of lack of adequate storage, but police hope personal belongings, mostly jewelry, could provide clues about their identity. DNA samples were collected before bodies were burnt, Shashidhar Reddy, vice-chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, told a news conference Monday.

Nilesh Anand Bharne, superintendent of police at Uttarakhand’s disaster management division, said valuables removed from the bodies of the deceased will be handed over to family members once they are identified.

Any that remain will be kept by the police for records, he added. “There’s been so much devastation. In some cases, bodies have been buried under buildings and debris and are unidentifiable,” he said. “In these cases, their ornaments and personal belongings are the way for family members to identify them.”

A new list of unidentified bodies is put online every two days, replacing previous lists.

The latest list has 18 individuals; nine men, eight women and one 12-14 year-old boy. He was about four feet 10 inches tall, had black hair and a very thin body, police said. He was found wearing a blue jacket and yellow sweater over black jeans and a blue nylon belt.

Another entry shows a photograph of two pink bracelets, a couple of rings and a black and gold nose stud. The items belonged to a female in her mid-to-late fifties who was around five foot three inches tall, according to the police. She was wearing a red sweater with white and blue stripes and a sky blue petticoat. Her body was also recovered from Kedarnath.

According to Mr. Bharne, 63 people from the overall list of 192 bodies have been identified. It was unclear how many of these identifications were a result of the list of personal effects and information on the state police website.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/07/16/jewelry-rubber-bands-used-to-identify-dead/

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DNA test on kin of missing Andhra pilgrims

DNA testing would be the primary tool to be used for confirming whether the missing pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh were among the unidentified bodies found after floods abated in Uttarakhand.

It has been a month now since the rains and flood had devastated the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand and left thousands dead and many more missing.

Among those missing in Uttarakhand, 87 people are from Andhra Pradesh, of which 13 have been announced dead, based on the information provided by the family members and relatives, who witnessed their death.

The search for the 74 missing persons from the state had so far yielded no result.

Several thousands of people from the state went on ‘Char Dham’ pilgrimage to Uttarakhand and of them several got stranded in different parts of the state. The official figures for those, who got stranded was put at 2,800. After a mammoth rescue effort by the Army and para-military forces for nearly a fortnight, majority of the stranded pilgrims from the state were rescued and shifted back to their native places.

With deadline to locate the missing persons ending Monday, Uttarakhand government has decided to initiate the process of dispensing the ex gratia announced. However, Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna refused to declare the missing as dead and said the search will continue.

A higher official from the department of disaster management said that the bodies found in Uttarakhand were subjected to autopsy and the data of the DNA of each body is being cataloged. The bodies were also videographed for reference purpose.

Now, once the list of the missing persons is sent to Uttarakhand government, the officials might seek DNA sampling of the immediate family members of the missing pilgrims.

It is to confirm if the missing pilgrims from the state were among the thousands of bodies found.

‘’DNA would be the main tool used to authentically establish the identity of the person. The other means of identifying the bodies like identity marks on the person, any personal belongings found on the body, when it was found etc would also be of much help,’’ the official said.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/DNA-test-on-kin-of-missing-Andhra-pilgrims/2013/07/16/article1685960.ece

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