Director of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) at the police’s Medical and Health Center, Senior Commissioner Wahyu Hidajati, explained that fingerprint identification is no longer possible due to the condition of the bodies.
“The average age of the five victims we are examining is between 12 and 15 years old. Their fingerprints cannot be used because the bodies have begun to decompose,” she said at Surabaya’s Bhayangkara Police Hospital, where the victims were evacuated, on Friday evening.
Attempts to identify the victims through dental records and clothing also proved ineffective. “Their dental development is similar, and they all wore the same school uniform—a white shirt and a sarong,” Hidajati noted.
Given these challenges, DNA testing has become the most viable method. “Our final way out is to match the victims’ DNA samples with those provided by their families,” she said, adding that her team is “racing against time” to complete the identification process.
As DNA testing may take up to two weeks, Hidajati appealed to the victims’ families for patience. She also assured them that the team would provide updates once the identification is complete.
“We will inform the families about the process, including how to handle the victim’s body—from its handover to the funeral,” she added.
As of Friday evening, eight bodies have been recovered from the rubble and transported to Bhayangkara Police Hospital for identification.
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Translator: Willi Irawan, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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