Disaster Victim Identification Process Update
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.