PHUKET, Jan 4--MediaNet International-AsiaNet/InfoQuest
The Thai government is in the process of establishing an international
standard post mortem and ante-mortem identification centre in Phuket as the
processing of victims of the tsunami that hit Thailand gets underway.
There are now disaster victim identification (DVI) teams from 19 countries
in Thailand working under the command of General Nopadol of the Royal Thai
Police, the commander in charge of the overall operation.
Mortuary equipment has now arrived from Australia and Europe and is in place
at the three mortuaries set up to process the victims.
The process for victim identification is broken down into four broad phases
—the post mortem process, ante-mortem process, identification reconciliation
process then notification and release. Mortuaries had now been established at
Phang Nga Province and Krabi.
Because of the enormity of the tragedy, the process will take a very long
time perhaps months, and the local authorities have asked the families involved
to understand this in their time of extreme grief.
For further information, please contact:
Sally Mansfield
Australian Embassy - Thailand
+66 (0)6 120 2535
Source: Australian Embassy - Thailand
--Distributed by AsiaNet (www.asianetnews.net)--