INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE

ORGANIZATION

INTERPOL

DISASTER VICTIM IDENTIFICATION

GUIDE

1997
 FOREWORD

The first Interpol Manual on Disaster Victim Identification was published

in 1984, as the outcome of two years' work by the Organization's Standing
Committee on Disaster Victim Identification which set up a special
working party on the subject.

Since that time, many disasters have occurred throughout the world and the
Standing Committee has recommended that the content of the Manual be
re-examined to take account of the experience that has been acquired and
of developments in identification techniques.

The Manual has accordingly been reviewed and revised, resulting in the
publication of the present "Disaster Victim Identification Guide" which is
now being circulated to all Interpol member countries. It is hoped that it
will contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of disaster handling in
general and of identification procedures in particular. It is designed to
encourage the compatibility of procedures across international boundaries,
which is essential in these days of ever-increasing world travel.

The recommendations in this Guide cannot address every possible

eventuality but they give sound practical advice on the major issue of
victim identification, underlining the importance of pre-planning and
training. Such preparation, and an awareness of the many potential
demands and difficulties with which police services may be faced, will
undoubtedly contribute to successful operations, and thus benefit all
involved including victims, relatives and the other agencies with which the
police co-operate when disasters occur.
 CONTENTS
1 GENERAL REMARKS

1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Disaster Victim Identification Commissions ................................................... 2
1.3 Documentation ................................................................................................. 2
1.4 Religion and Culture ........................................................................................ 2
1.5 Stress and Welfare of Personnel....................................................................... 3
1.6 Equipment and Personnel................................................................................. 4

2 DISASTER HANDLING PROCEDURES

2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 7

2.2 Chain of Command .......................................................................................... 8
2.3 Communications...............................................................................................10
2.4 Rescue operations.............................................................................................12
2.4.1 Scene Co-ordinator ............................................................................... 14
2.4.2 The Grid................................................................................................16

3 IDENTIFICATION

3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................19

3.2 Visual Recognition ...........................................................................................19
3.3 Personal Effects................................................................................................19
3.4 Physical Evidence.............................................................................................20
3.4.1 External examination............................................................................20
3.4.2 Internal examination .............................................................................20
3.4.3 Dental examination...............................................................................21
3.4.4 Genetic identification ........................................................................... 21

4 VICTIM IDENTIFICATION

4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................23

4.2 Missing Persons Branch ...................................................................................23
4.2.1 Ante-mortem Records Unit ..................................................................23
4.2.2 Ante-mortem Files Unit........................................................................25
4.2.3 Victim List............................................................................................25
4.2.4 Victim Checkpoint................................................................................26

4.3 Victim Recovery...............................................................................................26

4.3.1 Recovery Co-ordinator ......................................................................... 28
4.3.2 Search teams ......................................................................................... 28
4.3.3 Photography..........................................................................................29
4.3.4 Body Recovery teams ........................................................................... 30
4.3.5 Property Recovery teams ...................................................................... 31
4.3.6 Morgue Station .....................................................................................31
 4.4 Mortuary Branch............................................................................................... 32
4.4.1 Security Unit.........................................................................................32
4.4.2 Body Movement Unit ........................................................................... 32
4.4.3 PM Records Unit ..................................................................................34
4.4.4 Body Examination Unit ........................................................................35
4.4.4.1 PM Photography Unit............................................................. 36
4.4.4.2 PM Fingerprint Unit ...............................................................36
4.4.4.3 PM Property Unit ...................................................................37
4.4.4.4 PM Medical Unit ....................................................................38
4.4.4.5 PM Dental Unit ......................................................................38
4.4.5 PM Files Unit .......................................................................................39

4.5 Identification Centre.........................................................................................40

4.5.1 Identification Centre File Section......................................................... 41
4.5.1.1 File Subdivision ...................................................................42
4.5.2 Specialized Sections .............................................................................43
4.5.2.1 Identification Centre Photography Section.............................43
4.5.2.2 Identification Centre Fingerprint Section ...............................43
4.5.2.3 Identification Centre Property Section ................................... 43
4.5.2.4 Identification Centre Medical Section.................................... 43
4.5.2.5 Identification Centre Dental Section ......................................44
4.5.2.6 DNA Analysis ........................................................................45
4.5.3 Identification Board ..............................................................................45
4.5.4 Body Release Section ........................................................................... 46

5 ELIMINATION TABLES

5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................49

5.2 Specialist Units.................................................................................................51
5.3 Unit Master Tables ........................................................................................... 53
5.4 Identification Board..........................................................................................55
5.5 Composite Tables .............................................................................................57
5.6 Final Identification Table .................................................................................57
5.7 Reconciliation sessions.....................................................................................58
5.7.1 First Reconciliation Session .................................................................58
5.7.2 Second Reconciliation Session.............................................................59
5.7.3 Subsequent Reconciliation Sessions.....................................................60
5.7.4 Final Reconciliation Session ................................................................60

6 INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION

6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................63

6.2 Liaison between Member Countries.................................................................64
6.3 International Identification Standard ................................................................ 64
6.3.1 Responsibilities of the Interpol General Secretariat ............................. 64
6.3.2 Responsibilities of Member Countries .................................................64
6.4 Conclusion........................................................................................................66
Chapter 1 General Remarks

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Disasters, whether natural, technological or man-made, are unfortunately a fact of life. One
aspect common to them all is the inevitability of the many police, technical, medical and other
investigations that follow. The purpose of this Interpol guide is to promulgate good practice
in respect of one type of investigation conducted when lives have been lost: Disaster Victim
Identification.

While this document is based on practical experience gained from actual incidents, it is
recognized that the guidelines may need to be adapted by member countries to conform to
national or regional laws and regulations, or to religious or organizational practices.

Disaster victim identification, normally the responsibility of the police, is a difficult and
demanding exercise which can only be brought to a successful conclusion if properly planned
and which, of necessity, has to involve the active participation of many other agencies. It is,
however, only one aspect of dealing with disasters which will always vary considerably in
scale and effect. Nevertheless, the identification procedures described in this Guide can be
used in all circumstances, irrespective of the number of victims involved. The ultimate aim of
all disaster victim identification operations must invariably be to establish the identity of every
victim by comparing and matching accurate ante-mortem (AM) and post-mortem (PM) data.

Chapter 2 refers briefly to some of the general aspects of disaster handling in order to
illustrate the way in which the many operations to be undertaken interact, and the need for co-
ordination and interaction between them.

Chapter 3 briefly explains identification methods and the reasons for involving several groups
of specialists in an integrated operation.

Chapter 4 describes the three major stages in victim identification, namely:

procurement of ante-mortem information for possible victims (AM data)

recovery and examination of bodies to establish reliable post-mortem evidence from the
deceased (PM data)
comparison of AM and PM data to identify each body.

Chapter 5 refers to a series of elimination tables which can be used to facilitate a manual data-
matching process.

Each member country will have to decide whether or not to use this system or an alternative
method such as a computer application.

Liaison between member countries after a disaster or when planning the response to one,
aspects of international law, regulations, agreements and conventions and are dealt with in
Chapter 6 and the Appendices. Appendix D, in particular, gives the Interpol resolution on
disaster victim identification which was adopted by the General Assembly at its 65th session,
held in 1996.

1.2 DISASTER VICTIM IDENTIFICATION COMMISSIONS

In order to achieve, maintain and improve standards, and facilitate international liaison,
Interpol recommends that each member country establish one or more permanent Disaster
Victim Identification Commissions. They should have a responsibility not only for disaster
response, but also for the vital functions of pre-planning and training of key personnel who
may by virtue of their position suddenly become involved in, or responsible for, one or more
of the many aspects of a disaster including victim identification.

The identification procedures described later in this Guide assume that post-disaster
intervention will be organized; they are intended to serve as a sound basis upon which to
develop disaster victim identification practices and standardize them in many respects. The
advice may be of particular help to member countries which do not have permanent Disaster
Victim Identification Commissions.

1.3 DOCUMENTATION

The Interpol Standing Committee on Disaster Victim Identification has developed and refined
internationally agreed Disaster Victim Identification Forms which could, in fact, also be used
in cases involving a single unidentified body. Use of these forms by all member countries will
ensure that comprehensive information is obtained and will also greatly facilitate the
transmission of identification data between member countries. The AM and PM data-
recording processes described are based on the use of these forms. The forms themselves,
with explanatory notes on how to fill them in, are published separately by the Interpol General
Secretariat.

It is important that whenever a country introduces forms for its own internal use, the coding
system of the internationally approved Interpol forms be strictly respected.

1.4 RELIGION AND CULTURE

Religious and cultural customs differ considerably throughout the world and this fact must be
taken into account when planning the response to disaster scenarios. Experience proves that
this factor is of particular relevance when dealing with survivors, relatives and the remains of
the victims.

Each religious faith and ethnic culture has its own ethical considerations when dealing with
the dead and dying. It is not possible to list the requirements and expectations of each
individual denomination or persuasion in this Guide, but the importance of sensitivity and
understanding when dealing with all victims should never be overlooked.

Nevertheless religious and cultural considerations, however important in their own right,
cannot be allowed to compromise the legal processes to which local authorities and
investigating agencies may be bound by law.
When planning for disasters, member countries are advised to find out about the needs and
wishes of the various faiths. It will then be possible to ascertain the type of assistance that
may be available, both for investigators and for the families of victims, from the
representatives of those faiths. Such prior understanding will undoubtedly help to avoid
conflict between the official agencies and others involved in the aftermath.

Member countries are also advised to try to establish multi-agency "faith community teams" to
be called upon for advice and support during times of crisis. Such teams have proved to be of
great help in previous incidents and have provided valuable assistance to the injured, bereaved
and distressed, as well as to official agencies.

Faith community teams can assist by:

tending to the dead and injured

accompanying those required to view bodies
providing spiritual comfort to survivors, evacuees, families, etc.
providing advice on religious requirements.

1.5 STRESS AND WELFARE OF PERSONNEL

Stress is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. The importance of being able to

recognize and deal with its effects should not be under-estimated. Everyone involved in a
disaster will suffer a degree of stress, but for some this can develop from a normal reaction
into a medical disorder with potentially serious physical and psychological consequences.

The greatest risk comes when confronting the abnormal, unfamiliar and sometimes almost
overwhelming circumstances inherent in disasters. Dealing with the deceased, survivors and
relatives contributes to the unusual and often unexpected pressures on the individual required
to respond. It is recommended that contingency plans include provisions to counter the effects
of stress on personnel.

Methods of reducing the effects of stress are well researched and documented, and it is not
possible to go into detail in this Guide. In summary, proper briefing and preparation of staff is
vital and can best be achieved by suitable training for the tasks they will be expected to
perform. Of equal importance is de-briefing at the conclusion of the incident or when staff are
withdrawn from the operation, not only to review the professional aspects but also to provide
an opportunity to discuss personal feelings and reactions. This can be conducted individually
or by team, but in each case critical incident stress de-briefing must be considered as of
benefit to the individual. Most disasters have revealed a need for long-term counselling for
some people. To be effective, both counselling and critical incident stress de-briefing should
be conducted by properly trained staff and be seen as a confidential, and often essential,
medical service.

During the searching and identification stages a suitable diet can assist in reducing stress.
There is a wide range of other helpful techniques such as regular breaks, personnel rotation,
gentle exercises, etc., but clearly the choice of methods will depend on the circumstances and
must be left to supervisors.

1.6 EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL

It is obviously impossible for this Guide to provide an exhaustive list of the equipment needed
to deal with all aspects of all disasters.

Requirements will vary, depending on the type of incident (air crash, earthquake, flooding,
chemical release), the location (city centre, desert, mountainous area, at sea) the weather
(snow, extreme temperatures, monsoon), on the type of personnel being or likely to be used
(police, military, volunteers) and on the equipment already available to such personnel in the
normal course of their duties.

There are, however, some items which are always needed in certain contexts. A list is given
below.

The scene of the incident

body bags
body labels
property bags
property labels
body and property stakes
site demarcation tape or barriers
stretchers
ground-clearing equipment
search and detection equipment
identification badges/clothing
maps / aerial photographs
draughtsmans materials
photographic equipment

The mortuary
examination tables
body storage facilities
heating/cooling units
specialist examination instruments
specimen storage containers
drainage
waste disposal
X-ray machines
photographic equipment
fingerprint equipment

Transport
of bodies from scene, within mortuary, etc.: refrigerated trucks
of personnel to and from scene
of evacuees and casualties
of equipment and ID data files
for debris / evidence removal
tow trucks
recovery vehicles

Administration
premises
furniture
Interpol forms
other stationery
weatherproof pens/pencils
files
cabinets
first-aid and medical equipment
petty cash ad hoc expenses and purchases

Communications
radio
telephone
facsimile
computer
photocopiers
dispatch service
management information service
briefing material

Power supplies
scene
mortuary
temporary buildings

Welfare
washing facilities
food and drink
personal protective clothing
advice/counselling service

It will be appreciated that no list can be exhaustive, and any attempt to devise and publish a
complete inventory of recommended equipment would not only be futile, but might lead to a
false sense of security.

However, many Interpol member countries have drawn up plans and acquired equipment
which suits the perceived needs of their particular areas of operation. Their experience will be
made available to other countries requesting information either directly or via the Interpol
General Secretariat.

Similarly, no definitive guidance can be given on the number of people likely to be required
to respond to and deal with a disaster. Again, the type and location of the incident as well as
numerous other criteria will need to be taken into account.

One particular piece of advice can, however, be given. Those who have had to deal with
disasters on whatever scale will always agree that it is very easy to underestimate the time,
number of staff, and amount of equipment that will be required.
___________________________________________________________________________

Notes:
Chapter 2 Disaster Handling Procedures

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Recommendations will be made in this chapter on the procedures to be followed when a major
disaster occurs. The procedures may need to be adapted to the workload involved and the
resources available in each case. No mention is made of special procedures adopted in times
of war or when a disaster assumes such proportions that a state of emergency is declared
although, in principle at least, the same measures have to be taken even in those
circumstances.

An attempt has been made to list the procedures in a logical sequence. It should be
understood, however, that many activities will be initiated and carried out simultaneously by
different offices and people. The circumstances of each disaster may also justify changes in
the sequence described.

The titles of officials used in this Guide have been chosen to describe their functions.
Member countries will naturally use their own terms where appropriate and, naturally,
masculine terms are equally applicable to women.
 Public
INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE Relations

Director of Director of
Director of
Rescue Victim
Communications
Operations Identification

Scene Recovery Mortuary Identification AM Data

Co-ordinator Co-ordinator Co-ordinator Centre Co-ordinator

Team Leaders Command post Team Leaders Team Leaders Team Leaders Team Leaders

Telephone, Team Leaders Search Security Files Missing

Radio, Persons
Fax Security Recovery Body
Records AM Teams
Computer, movement
Telex Rescue Photography AM Records
PM Records Records
Dispatch
Casualties Morgue AM Files
Identification
Station
experts
Photography
Uninjured Fingerprints
(Medical,
Property dental,
fingerprint Property
Evidence &
other Elimination
specialists)

Photography

Property
Chart No. 1
Chain of Command PM Files
Body
release
2.2 CHAIN OF COMMAND (see Chart No. 1)

A firm chain of command is essential. If plans do not provide for a senior official (e.g.
Commissioner of Police or Supervising Coroner) to take immediate control, an Investigator in
Charge must be appointed to assume overall responsibility for the whole operation. Until
sufficient additional officers become available he may need to direct and supervise many, if
not all, of the initial aspects of the response.

The Investigator in Charge will normally be responsible for co-ordinating efforts to save life
and property, to identify the dead and to investigate the cause or causes of the disaster.

The activities for which he will be responsible are so many and varied that he will need
several senior police officers to assist him. Apart from supervising the combined operations
from beginning to end, he may be required to handle the investigation into the disaster causes
himself. However, as all the evidence upon which to base his conclusions will not be
available until the rescue and recovery operations have been terminated, all material
evidence must eventually be made available to him for evaluation.

The final report will present conclusions regarding the cause or causes but will also, whenever
possible include proposals to avoid or minimize the effects of future similar disasters, and
may suggest improvements in the response procedures and in ways of managing disaster
operations.

For effective control and co-ordination of the various activities the Investigator-in-Charge will
need at least three assistants, each responsible for a major aspect of the overall operation:

a Director of Communications
a Director of Rescue Operations
a Director of Victim Identification

Victim identification being the subject of this Guide, the responsibilities of the Director of
Victim Identification are described in detail in Chapter 4.

Each Director should be given the authority to obtain and deploy the equipment and staff he
needs.

He must also be able to delegate the control of various activities and branches to Co-
ordinators who will remain under his command and supervision.

Co-ordinators will need to appoint unit chiefs and team leaders, as appropriate, to handle
specific aspects of the response.
 INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE

Director of
Communications

Telephone,
Communications Radio, Fax,
Centre Computer,
Telex Dispatch

MISSING PERSONS PUBLIC

SCENE
UNIT RELATIONS

AM Files Media

Director of Director of
Rescue Victim
Operations Identification AM Records
Public &
Relatives
AM Teams
Identification
Mortuary
Centre

Chart No. 2
Communications: Flow of information
2.3 COMMUNICATIONS (see Chart No. 2)

It is extremely important to establish a communications centre at once. For practical reasons

this centre should be established at a major police headquarters which will normally have
suitable premises, communications equipment, staff and other essential facilities. Whenever
possible an independent switchboard and additional communications channels such as radio,
telex, facsimile and computer links should be provided. It is recommended that offices for
the three Directors and their various units or teams be provided at or close to this location.

The communications centre should also provide services such as document copying,
translation and message transmission for the operations at other locations. If it is difficult to
set up communications equipment, or if technical breakdowns are liable to occur, provision
should be made for a permanently available personal dispatch system.

In many cases it will be expedient to set up the Missing Persons Unit at or near the
communications centre, and all enquiries and information concerning potential victims should
be directed to that Unit.

A substantial number of public and media enquiries, not all relating to missing persons, must
be anticipated. These are best dealt with by a public relations officer, but the Director of
Communications, in liaison with the Investigator in Charge should always be ultimately
responsible for the release of information to the media; only they can fully assess what has
been achieved at any given time and what information can be made public without
compromising the operations or investigations

For example, no victim details should be released to the media before families (or perhaps
embassies) have been informed in order that relatives do not learn through the press that a
family member has been involved.
 INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE

Director of Director of Rescue Director of Victim

Communications Operations Identification

Scene Co-ordinator

Command
Post

Team
Leaders

Security Search Equipment First Aid Transport Evacuees Photography

Cordons Survivors Search Survivors Uninjured Rest Scene

centres
Entry/Exit Bodies Rescue Personnel Injured Bodies
Records
points
Mapping Bodies Evidence

Plans Personnel

Evidence Equipment

Chart No. 3
Rescue Operations
2.4 RESCUE OPERATIONS (see Chart No. 3)

Rescue operations will be started immediately, often by survivors and members of the public
in the vicinity of the incident. Initial reports to the emergency services seldom give sufficient
details about the extent of the disaster and the number and condition of victims; the Director
of Rescue Operations will therefore need to seek additional information from reliable sources.
As with normal police procedures the nearest radio-equipped police patrol should be directed
to the scene immediately, to provide accurate information direct from the site. Equally
importantly, the officers will represent uniformed authority at the scene.

It is emphasized that the first police personnel to arrive must resist the temptation to become
personally involved in the rescue operations. Their primary function at this stage is to obtain
and pass on accurate information so that response measures can be assessed and taken.
Personal involvement, which could put them out of contact at this critical time, might sever
the only vital communications link with the scene. In areas that may not be accessible by
vehicle, e.g. in deserts, mountain ranges or woodlands or on snow-covered ground or water,
accurate information will be even more difficult to obtain. Helicopters or other aircraft
(police, military or civilian) could be used to reconnoitre and report. In aircraft disasters early
telephone contact should be made and maintained with the nearest air traffic control centre
and with the airline company involved to obtain important information regarding, for
example, the aircrafts destination, and details of distress calls and hazardous cargo.

The Director of Rescue Operations must be primarily concerned with rescuing all survivors
and with their immediate medical care. He must ensure that hospitals in the area have been
alerted, to enable them to begin implementing their emergency plans. For each hospital he
must find out its proximity to the incident, how many injured people it can handle, and when
it is unable to accept any more casualties.

This information will have a direct bearing on route planning, the type and number of
ambulances required, and decisions on where to send different types of casualties. It may be
necessary to set up temporary hospital facilities close to the scene, which will involve
transporting medical personnel and equipment to the site. Dealing with such problems can
often be made easier by prior contingency planning and risk assessment.

Difficulties in locating survivors should be anticipated. It is not unusual for some survivors to
flee from a disaster site if they have not been badly injured. They could also have been among
the first evacuated before the organized response began and have gone home, or to a hospital,
a doctor, or a place of safety, or they could be wandering around in a state of complete
confusion.

2.4.1 Scene Co-ordinator

Many people may already be engaged in rescue attempts at the disaster scene; these attempts
must be co-ordinated and intensified if the scale of the disaster requires it. A Scene Co-
ordinator should be appointed to establish effective control and co-ordination at the scene (see
Chart No. 3). He should go to the disaster site immediately and set up a command post at
premises likely to provide the best lines of communication with the communications centre.

It may be preferable, or indeed the only option, to establish a command post at the scene, in a
tent, suitable building or police command vehicle which has the necessary communications
systems or can rapidly be equipped with them. In such cases the post should be sited at the
most convenient entry or exit point on the perimeter of the scene.

Total site security is essential to allow the rescue operations to proceed without interruption,
to protect evidence and to protect the public from danger. It may be necessary to fence the site
or otherwise clearly demarcate it, and there will be a need for round-the-clock uniformed
guards. From the moment a perimeter and entry/exit point have been established, the Scene
Co-ordinator must ensure that a personnel check point is also established to log details (name,
organization, date and time) of all persons entering and leaving the site. Civilian volunteers
and other unofficial personnel present, if of value to the operation, should be listed, organized
and given specific tasks under the control and direction of one of the emergency services.
Any unauthorized persons not required should be asked to leave the site although, as potential
witnesses, their names and addresses should be recorded.

Organized rescue operations generally start with the formation of rescue teams. If possible,
each team should consist of a leader and at least two stretcher-bearers. It would be
advantageous for a team member to be medically qualified, i.e. a doctor or nurse, or a member
of a Red Cross or ambulance team. It is important that team leaders and medical personnel be
identifiable by badges, armbands or items of clothing.

Detailed instructions must be given on the area to be searched and how survivors are to be
handled. All property, wreckage, bodies, etc. must remain in situ if at all possible.

By this time the Scene Co-ordinator should have received information from the Director of
Rescue Operations about casualty collection points, hospitals, and ambulances or other means
of transport.

A traffic control unit, parking places, routes in and out, a helicopter pad, etc., may have to be
established to facilitate the loading and removal of victims. Traffic management between the
scene and the hospitals may be necessary.

A suitably equipped advance first-aid station, staffed by doctors and nurses and through which
all survivors must pass, should be set up at the entry/exit point to the incident site. The
primary role of this station is to save life and prepare survivors for transportation. In difficult
circumstances this station may have to be expanded into a field hospital, in which case there
must be liaison with the Mortuary Branch for dealing with fatalities.

Some of the victims brought to the first-aid point or field hospital may be dead or may die
after arrival, in which case they must be transferred to the morgue station (see Chapter 4) and
not merely turned away. Consideration may be given to the use of refrigerated trucks which
can be used to hold bodies temporarily and transport them, providing the bodies do not
become frozen.

It is important to record particulars of all survivors and injured persons at a victim check point
set up at this location.

Once survivors have been removed from the site, the responsibilities of the Scene Co-
ordinator will change. Fire fighting and debris clearance may still be going on, but technical
investigators (e.g. aircraft accident investigators) and victim identification personnel can now
start their respective operations under their own commands. The Scene Co-ordinator should
continue to provide whatever support is needed by these specialist groups.
 Figure 1. Example of a grid over laid on aircraft crash scene

Cordon Cordon

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150

150 Tree

140

130

120

110

100

90

80

70
19
60

50
18
40

30
17
20

10 Building
16
0

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

2 3 4 5 6

Parking
Area 1 7

Road Road
Block Road Block

Outside the Cordon Inside the Cordon (Mortuary Branch)

1. Transport Team 8. Equipment 15. Medical examination

2. Entry / exit guard 9. Command Post 16. Body storage
3. Personnel 10. First Aid and Check Point 17. Photographs and fingerprints
4. AM File Section 11. PM File Section 18. Property
5. Public Relations 12. Bodies examined 19. Body reception
6. Security Personnel 13. Coffins and body bags
7. Catering 14. Dental examination

G3329-122
2.4.2 The Grid (see Figure 1)

The investigators, site clearance personnel and victim recovery and identification teams will
all need accurate mapping of the disaster area to enable them to search properly and record
their findings accurately. For a wide disaster area, aerial photographs can greatly assist in
preparing maps or plans, while for buildings, consecutively numbered floor plans may suffice.

For locations such as airport runways, fields and other areas where the site is relatively
contained, a grid is recommended. This, briefly, consists of a base line selected from or
between fixed and recognizable points on the ground, and parallel lines marked out with tape
at 10-metre intervals to form squares in which to search methodically; the grid must cover the
whole of the disaster site.

If the incident occurs in rough terrain, experience has shown that a grid, with its regular
squares, is often not the most useful system. The better option in such cases is to obtain aerial
photographs and maps, or accurately sketch the ground to be covered, and then divide it into
sectors based on natural or man-made features such as river banks, hedgerows, fields, roads,
cliffs or buildings. These sectors may then have to be further subdivided into smaller, more
manageable areas.

A chart corresponding to each sector is then prepared, clearly indicating the grid or the major
fixed points, and an appropriate number of copies is made. The other search and recovery
operations will be conducted in a similar methodical way, following the body recovery
procedures, to ensure that every part of the site is properly searched and that all relevant finds
are precisely recorded.

Whatever the system used, the first personnel to enter the search area should be the physical
searchers working in a line abreast, followed by the plotters who record any finds on their
plans, and then the specialists forming the body, property and evidence recovery teams, the
technical investigators and, in appropriate cases, the medical personnel.
___________________________________________________________________________

Notes:
Chapter 3 Identification Methods

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Accurate identification is achieved by matching AM and PM data obtained from:

Circumstantial evidence (e.g. personal effects such as clothing, jewellery and pocket
contents)

Physical evidence provided by:

- external examination, e.g. of general features (description) and specific features

(fingerprints)
- internal examination, e.g. medical evidence, dental evidence and laboratory findings.

3.2 VISUAL RECOGNITION

Visual recognition of a body may be the only criterion accepted in some countries for victim
identification. In many cases, however, the results of such an unscientific approach have later
proved to be inaccurate.

This can lead to serious embarrassment and distress and may also cause legal difficulties in
the victims home countries. It is best, therefore, to ensure that accurate identification is
achieved by evaluating a combination of criteria and not to rely solely on visual recognition.

3.3 PERSONAL EFFECTS

Descriptions of clothing, jewellery and pocket contents should be recorded first. These may
assist in correct identification, provided a detailed and reliable ante-mortem description of the
same objects can be obtained for comparison. It must be borne in mind that loose objects can
easily be attributed to the wrong body, whether by mistake or intentionally. Personal effects
may constitute valuable circumstantial evidence of identity, but never proof. They are merely
factors which, combined with others, make a case for positive identification.

The police may insist that personal property (jewellery, watches, documents, clothing, etc.) be
examined by a forensic science laboratory to assist with both identification and the
investigations.

3.4 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

3.4.1 External examination

It is generally agreed that the identification of an unknown body should primarily be based on
physical evidence derived from the body itself. Searching for and describing physical
features is best undertaken by a police officer familiar with obtaining descriptions, working
with a medical expert such as a police surgeon, forensic pathologist, medical examiner, or
coroner. As the identification process will also normally involve establishing the cause of
death, a medical expert must participate in the removal and description of clothing and body
features.

Such involvement will help in interpreting the injuries found, and possibly assist in
determining the cause of death. It is important that the undressing of the bodies and the
external and internal examinations form a continuous and structured process.

General features of the naked body should then be described including sex, estimated age,
height, build, colour of skin, etc. Some features, e.g. hair and eye colour, are a matter of
judgment and may therefore be potentially inaccurate. Taken together with other details,
however, they can lead to a positive identification.

Specific features, such as scars, moles, tattoos, and abnormalities, are often unique and thus
extremely important if they can be matched with ante-mortem data.

Fingerprints are specific external features. If present on a body, and if ante-mortem prints can
be obtained for comparison, they constitute the safest identification means available. They
should always be recorded by an expert.

An Interpol fingerprint form has been designed to enable prints to be transmitted between
member countries in an agreed format, but the appropriate forms used by individual countries
will suffice. There is provision on the Disaster Victim Identification ante-mortem and post-
mortem forms for such records.

3.4.2 Internal examination.

In some countries an external examination is sufficient evidence of the cause of death, but if a
victim's identity or cause of death cannot be determined from an external examination, an
autopsy may be necessary.

Victim identification cannot be considered as an end in itself: it is an integral and essential

part of the overall investigation of the disaster. It should therefore be standard practice to
perform autopsies on all disaster victims not only for the identification and cause of death
aspects, but also to assist in preventing or minimizing the effects of similar incidents in the
future.

It will always be the responsibility of the medical experts - who will be bound by the legal
requirements of the country concerned - to determine how detailed these examinations need to
be. However, the police investigation may require the examination of specific internal organs
or the consideration of particular conditions, and this will require liaison between the police
and the medical examiners. At the examiners' discretion, specimens and samples may need to
be taken for further specialist investigation.

Medical experts may require that blood types be established or that body fluids be examined
for traces of alcohol, drugs, carbon monoxide etc., or that tissue samples be microscopically
examined in serology, toxicology or pathology laboratories.

There may be medical findings which will assist with identification, for example signs of
previous fractures or surgery, missing organs (e.g. appendix, uterus, kidney), or implants.
3.4.3 Dental examination

Dental evidence is a particularly important and effective method of identification and can
often be so accurate that it will positively identify an individual by itself. The examination of
teeth and jaws can only be properly carried out by a forensic dental expert who will perform
the oral examination as part of the general autopsy. Because of the exact detail which can be
obtained from this examination it is accepted procedure for dental experts, when necessary, to
remove teeth for sectioning and age evaluation, or jaws (complete or in part) for maceration
and radiography, perhaps at forensic dental laboratories.

N.B.: X-ray equipment will be of great advantage in both internal and dental examinations,
particularly when an estimate of a victims age is required, and also to discover fractures or
other unique identification information. X-ray examination is also a very effective method of
locating and identifying evidential material such as bullets or bomb fragments. X-ray
equipment, preferably portable, should always be made available in the mortuary.

3.4.4 Genetic identification

Genetic identification techniques provide a powerful diagnostic tool in forensic medicine and
can successfully be applied to the identification of disaster victims. An individual's genetic
data is the same in all his or her cells and remains constant even after death.

The analysis of a biological sample makes it possible to link an individual to ancestors and
descendants, and the data from these analyses can easily be computerized.

Genetic identification techniques currently in use complement other methods commonly used
for disaster victim identification, especially when a body has been severely mutilated.

Biological sample analysis can result in:

the genetic linking of a victim to members of his natural family

the conclusion that victims were not related
the matching of body parts.

The sampling must be carried out on all the victims.

It must be remembered, however, that attempts to link a victim with his father or children
involve the risk of proving non-paternity.

Obtaining, storing and analysing these samples, from both the victim and potential relative,
requires special expertise and should always be undertaken by a scientific or medical expert.
Expert advice should also be sought on the most appropriate method of forwarding the
samples to their destination, to ensure that security and integrity are maintained.

___________________________________________________________________________

Notes:
Chapter 4 Victim Identification

4.1 INTRODUCTION

In order to identify disaster victims, two different sets of data have to be collected:

data on missing persons, i.e. persons known or thought to have been present when the
disaster occurred and are not listed as survivors.
data on bodies recovered from the site.

The data on missing persons should be recorded on the yellow ante-mortem forms; the pink
post-mortem forms should be used for data on bodies.

Ante-mortem and post-mortem forms will naturally be filled in by different people, at

different times and places, but they will subsequently be taken to the Identification Centre for
matching. When a large number of features are found to correspond exactly or some features
are characteristic enough to rule out all doubt, a positive identification will have been
achieved. Accurate identification will require detailed analysis of the data which should be
undertaken by personnel with the necessary expertise.

4.2 MISSING PERSONS BRANCH

A Missing Persons Branch should be established under the command of an AM Data Co-
ordinator to deal with ante-mortem records and files. The primary function of the Missing
Persons Branch will to provide a reliable victim list as soon as possible.

4.2.1 Ante-mortem Records Unit

The yellow pages of the Disaster Victim Identification Form will be used by this Unit to
record ante-mortem data for all persons reported as possible victims of the disaster. Previous
experience on numerous occasions has shown that the number of persons reported as potential
victims invariably massively exceeds the number actually involved. An early decision will
therefore have to be made on whether to record the data given in initial reports on the Disaster
Victim Identification forms immediately or to begin using the forms only when there is some
evidence of a person's presence.

The personnel collecting ante-mortem data should be experienced in taking detailed reports
and must have a thorough knowledge of the layout and purpose of the Interpol form.
Although police officers generally gain this type of experience through routine police duties,
they are unlikely to be familiar with the Disaster Victim Identification forms and will need
thorough briefing. Other agencies, e.g. the Red Cross, are often willing to help obtain the
information required and to assist both police and families.
It is essential that as much detail as possible is obtained and recorded on the Interpol form
during the first interview with relatives, friends, etc., and that the identity of the person
making the report (the informant), and particulars of how they can be contacted in the future,
are recorded. It may be necessary to contact that person at a later stage, to give or obtain
further information. It is equally important to ask informants to report again immediately if
they receive any news about the assumed victim - for example that the person has returned
home, or is otherwise accounted for.

The personnel collecting this data should also be aware of the possibility that the same person
may already have been reported missing by someone else and that another form may therefore
have been filled in on the same potential victim.

When specific medical or dental information is required, it is important to obtain the names
and addresses of family doctors and dentists (present and past), together with as many details
as possible of medical and dental history. Advice on the type of details required should be
sought from the doctors and dentists attached to the AM Files Unit (see Point 4.2.2).

It should be noted that during this recording stage no reference number is inserted in the box
at the top right hand corner of the Disaster Victim Identification form. This box is for the
appropriate body reference number to be added, if and when an identification ensues. It may,
however, be advantageous to indicate the nationality of the missing person by adding the
identification letters used on vehicle registration plates, e.g. CH for Switzerland, F for France,
GB for Great Britain.

Most missing person reports will be received by telephone, but relatives and others seeking
information may contact a wide range of institutions in different countries. A system of
collating the data they provide will have to be established at the Missing Persons Unit.

When all available information has been recorded, the completed forms must be transferred to
the AM File Section.

4.2.2 Ante-mortem Files Unit

This Unit will file all ante-mortem reports by family name, alphabetically. It would be
advisable to computerize this function in order to facilitate searching, storing the information
and checking for "double" reporting, i.e. persons reported more than once. Prior training will
therefore be needed.

As indicated above, "double" reporting has frequently occurred during the first few hours
following a major disaster. Accordingly, personnel should be aware of the need to check
continually for such duplication.

The AM Files Unit is responsible for checking that all ante-mortem reports are complete and
for obtaining any missing data. It may be necessary to form "relative liaison teams",
comprising local police officers in the different countries concerned, in order to obtain further
information (missing data, photographs, medical records, etc.) If a potential victim's finger
prints are not already on record, attempts may have to be made to obtain such prints from the
person's home or workplace. It may be necessary to set up an ante-mortem fingerprint unit to
work on this problem in close co-operation with the post-mortem fingerprint unit.
In many countries medical records will only be handed to the police, in confidence. An AM
Medical Unit and an AM Dental Unit should be set up, staffed by qualified doctors and
dentists who are entitled to read the records, and are also capable of interpreting and
extracting relevant information. These expert groups will need to co-operate closely with the
corresponding PM medical and dental personnel who are responsible for filling in the relevant
sections of the PM Form.

The Director of Victim Identification should maintain constant liaison with the Directors of
Communications and Rescue Operations, so as to be in a position to decide when to start
transferring completed AM records to the Identification Centre Files Unit.

4.2.3 Victim List

The immediate responsibility of the AM Files Unit will to be to compile as reliable a victim
list as possible. In the case of a commercial aircraft crash, for example, a passenger list may
quickly become available from the carrier but in other circumstances it will usually take a
considerable time before such a list can be established. Caution should always be exercised
about the accuracy of any passenger list provided as experience has shown that there are often
inaccuracies for a number of reasons. The total number of presumed victims is extremely
important, because any decision to stop searching must take into consideration the question of
whether the number of survivors and the number of bodies recovered matches the number of
people on the victim list.

Perhaps the simplest and most obvious way to begin compiling an accurate victim list is:

(a) To list all those potentially involved

(b) To list those known to have survived, whether injured or not
Then to subtract list (b) from list (a). This gives reasonable starting point.

When the total number of dead victims has been established the AM Files Unit will be able to
assess whether the number of bodies plus survivors matches the number on the list of
passengers or residents supplied.

There will, of course, be many incidents where it is simply not possible to assess the number
of victims accurately, for example in the case of widespread natural disasters.

4.2.4 Victim Checkpoint

It will be helpful to record details of all survivors before they leave the incident site, at a
victim checkpoint. This list could be made on a suitable form. In most disasters, however, it
may be far more practical to obtain those details at evacuation centres, hospitals, aid points
and other locations where survivors may go or be taken. If the survivors are not accounted for
as soon as possible, accurate numbers will not be available and much time and effort could be
wasted on unnecessary searching.

All bodies and parts brought to the victim checkpoint or first aid station must be given a
reference number before removal to a temporary holding area or mortuary. Injured persons
may die in ambulances or at first aid facilities. Their bodies must be numbered and moved
directly to the mortuary set up for the incident or the body holding area to make certain that
they are not "lost" or forgotten.
4.3 VICTIM RECOVERY (see Chart No. 4)

The recovery of dead victims does not start until the rescue of all survivors has been
completed. Rescue teams will have been instructed to leave dead bodies and body parts
untouched, but many bodies and much evidence may justifiably be moved during attempts to
save lives and effect rescues. Body recovery should also be considered as part of the process
of locating and safeguarding evidence. It is important for accurate records to be kept under
the supervision of a Recovery Co-ordinator.
 INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE

Director of Director of
Director of
Victim Rescue
Communications
Identification Operations

Recovery Scene
Co-ordinator Co-ordinator

Command
Scene Post

Team
Leaders

Body
Mapping Search Photography
Recovery

Bodies

Scene Morgue
first aid station
station or Bodies (Body
Field collection
hospital point)

Injured

Other
Bodies Mortuary
hospitals

Chart No.4
Body Recovery
4.3.1 Recovery Co-ordinator

The Recovery Co-ordinator must prepare a structured search and recovery phase, in liaison
with others such as the air accident investigators, police investigators and safety advisors.
This will involve searching for bodies, property and evidence, including wreckage. He will
need a map of the scene in order to produce a grid chart or site plan, to ensure thorough
searching and the plotting of bodies, wreckage, etc.

4.3.2 Search teams

It is essential for search teams to understand that they are the first of many links in the
identification process, and that their conscientiousness in performing their duties may make
the difference between success and failure. Their first function will be to locate and mark all
bodies and body parts as well as other relevant evidence. It is up to the Recovery Co-
ordinator to decide how many people to allocate to a search team, but they should be sufficient
in number to be able to locate, record, stake, and label items, and they may be accompanied by
medical personnel, photographers or other specialists. It is also recommended that details be
kept of the members of search teams and the sectors to which they are allocated, for continuity
to be maintained as far as evidence is concerned.

Each search team should be allocated an area (or areas) within the scene - which could be
much larger than is immediately apparent, as in the case of a wreckage trail from an aircraft
breaking up at altitude. The teams will be responsible for ensuring that a thorough search is
carried out and that each body found is given a number. A numbered stake should be placed
in or on the ground, immediately adjacent to the body, and this stake will remain when the
body is subsequently removed. The bag in which the body is removed should also bear the
same number. This number will be the body reference number and will remain with the body
throughout the identification procedure.

A similar but quite separate numbering system must be applied to evidence and property
location and plotting, but because of the large number of personal effects likely to be on the
scene, a decision on whether or not to plot and number individual items of property will
depend on the prevailing circumstances.

If numbered body and property labels are available, this will ensure that no numbers are
duplicated. Such labels should have space for details of the person who found the body or
exhibit and other relevant information such as location, who confirmed life to be extinct, and
whether photographs have been taken.

Each search team will mark the location (grid-co-ordinate) at which the item was found on its
copy of the grid chart.

The search teams will also complete the "Recovery of Body from scene" page of the pink
Disaster Victim Identification form, endorsing it with the body reference number and other
required information. Bodies and parts should be described as accurately and concisely as
possible.

When body parts are found, care must be taken not to assume that they belong to the nearest
body. They should be numbered and described as if they were whole bodies. It will, however,
be useful to indicate a part by adding the letter "P" to the reference number, otherwise
difficulties could be experienced in accurately determining the number of victims. Naturally,
the quantity of stakes and labels used may exceed the number of victims involved.

Similarly, personal effects found near bodies cannot be assumed to belong to a nearby body.
They should be recovered and bagged separately, but cross-referencing the relevant Disaster
Victim Identification Form and property record can indicate a possible link.

Dead victims may have been removed from the scene during earlier search and rescue
operations, and be held at the victim checkpoint or first aid station. Victims may also have
died at those facilities or in hospitals. The Recovery Co-ordinator should delegate to one or
more body recovery teams the task of numbering, labelling, listing and removing all such
bodies. Care must be taken to ensure that the stakes with corresponding numbers are not used
elsewhere.

Searching for bodies and marking them is a tiring task and fatigue can lead to inaccuracies. It
is suggested that search teams work for no more than two-hour shifts. It is also strongly
recommended that the searching take place in full daylight; even extensive scene illumination
has proved insufficient when many search teams are working simultaneously in different parts
of an area.

4.3.3 Photography

Photographic personnel should be deployed at the earliest opportunity, to record the scene and
all activities.

Photographic and video recording of bodies at the disaster site and within the mortuary is
important both for evidence and because, in many cases, it can help the experts to establish the
cause of the incident.

Photographers should therefore be attached to search and recovery teams and work in
conjunction with them. Body reference numbers must be clearly visible on each exposure and
these must be the only numbers used. It should not be necessary to remove body numbers
during photography, but if circumstances make this unavoidable the photographer must be
responsible for making certain that the correct number is re-attached immediately after
photographs have been taken.

Bodies will also need to be photographed at the mortuary, preferably by a separate

photographic officer or team (to avoid any risk of contamination). However, only one number
must still be used for each body; the use of additional reference numbers will lead to
confusion.

A photographer or photographers should be responsible for completing the relevant part of the
Disaster Victim Identification PM form and for processing exposed films.

The importance of photographs, films and videos cannot be over-emphasized. In addition to

being an aid to investigation, they will also provide a clear record of events which will be
extremely helpful for de-briefing, for analysing procedures and performance, and for
subsequent training.

4.3.4 Body Recovery teams

Properly briefed and equipped body recovery teams are of vital importance; they should
follow the search teams through the site once the latter have located and marked bodies.
Body recovery teams should refer to the grid charts completed by the search teams and should
work methodically, clearing the site by sectors. For their health and safety the team members
must wear protective clothing comprising at least helmets, overalls, boots and rubber gloves.

Before they remove a body or body part, they should ensure that the body or part, the stake
and the body bag all bear the same number.

All items should be individually and separately numbered and bagged. It is a matter for
medical experts to decide which parts constitute a single body, and this is best achieved during
the mortuary examinations. Treating each part in this way will avoid mistakes and cross-
contamination by body fluids.

Particulars of the person who recovered each body or part should be recorded.

Experience has shown that it will take time for a Mortuary Branch to become operational.
Search and marking operations may well have been completed by that time and a decision
may have been taken to start removing bodies from the scene.

In such circumstances, or where bodies need to be transported a considerable distance to the

mortuary, it may be necessary to set up a morgue station (i.e. body collection point) to hold
bodies pending transportation.

4.3.5 Property Recovery teams

Many effects lying scattered over the area may be very valuable, at least to owners and heirs.
Separate property recovery teams must be formed to operate in a similar way to body recovery
teams. It must be remembered that personal effects can often be an aid to victim
identification and should be kept available for examination by the Mortuary Branch.

Effects should be labelled and bagged separately and if necessary the location from which they
were recovered should be marked with a numbered stake. The bags must bear the same
numbers as the stake, prefixed with the letter "E" (effects) and with the grid co-ordinate at
which the property was located (e.g. E-95-45/86).

4.3.6 Morgue Station

The Morgue Station is an interim holding area for bagged bodies and body parts until
transport can be arranged and the mortuary is ready to receive them. Once the Mortuary
Branch has become operational the Recovery Co-ordinator will authorize and supervise the
transfer. The Morgue Station will keep its own record of bodies received and stored, listing
each body reference number, the date and time of receipt, from whom received and where
stored. Subsequently details of the transfer (i.e. when, by whom, the mortuary to which the
body was taken and the vehicle used for transport) should be recorded.

A transport form may be used; it will give the body reference numbers, the date and time of
departure, the name of the driver, details of the vehicle and its destination. It may be
convenient to entrust partially-completed PM forms accompanying bodies from the scene or
Morgue Station to the mortuary to the vehicle driver or attendant, although it may be more
convenient to have them taken separately to the Mortuary Branch.

If the above guidelines are observed, there will be a full record from the time when the body
was first located until it reaches the mortuary. Procedures within the mortuary will provide a
continuing record.
 DIRECTOR OF VICTIM IDENTIFICATION

Scene MORTUARY CO-ORDINATOR

Team
Leaders

Body Body Property Fingerprint Medical

Photographer
reception movement Officer Officer examination

Body Search Fingerprint

Log Photograph
storage Bodies forms
before and Dental
after clothing examination
removed

Other Other
photographs identification
as required specialists
during body
examination
Embalming
&
cosmetics
Records Records Photographs

Viewing
(when
IDENTIFICATION appropriate)
CENTRE Records
for comparison with AM
Records

Identification
confirmed

Body Release
Unit

Chart No. 5
Mortuary Branch
4.4 MORTUARY BRANCH (see Chart No. 5)

An early and important decision will need to be made by the Investigator in Charge and the
Director of Victim Identification, in consultation with the pathologists, about the location of
the Mortuary Branch if it is not pre-planned. An ideal venue, such as a well equipped medical
examiners' office will rarely be available. A mortuary will probably need to be established on
premises affording the best possible facilities in the circumstances.

Wherever the mortuary is situated, it is important to ensure that there is adequate protection
from the elements, suitable accommodation, running water, drainage and security. Ideally
there will be facilities to keep bodies refrigerated (not frozen) and consideration could be
given to acquiring refrigerated trucks and portable air cooling units or to using ice rinks,
providing the bodies and body bags are not in direct contact with the ice.

It may even be necessary, for example in remote areas, to establish this branch on the scene
itself, using tents or portable structures for the various tasks to be carried out. In such cases,
careful pre-planning is required to ensure that suitable accommodation is also provided for
personnel. However, it is generally agreed that the benefits of working in a well-equipped
mortuary, even a temporary one, far outweigh the difficulties incurred in transporting bodies
away from the scene.

4.4.1 Security Unit

If a secure Mortuary Branch has not been established within the disaster area, a Security Unit
will be required. Strict precautions are necessary, not just to allow personnel to work
unhindered and in privacy but also to safeguard property which may be present. Also,
experience has shown that unauthorized persons will often attempt to gain access to
mortuaries.

4.4.2 Body Movement Unit

The Body Movement Unit is responsible for the reception of bodies, for their storage before
and after examination, and for movement within and out of the mortuary. Strict control of the
movement of every body or part and of its location at any given time is necessary to ensure an
effective flow through the various examinations to be carried out. This section should be
headed by a senior police officer.

Bodies should be moved on wheeled trolleys or tables. Other methods will prove to be less
efficient and more physically tiring for staff.

A Body Reception Point must be selected close to the storage area, where the receiving officer
will take responsibility for every body or part brought in. He will need to maintain a Body
Storage List showing the body reference number, date, time, from whom received, and where
stored.

Storage may depend on the condition of the body and may affect the sequence in which it is to
be examined. These details should be discussed with a pathologist from the PM Medical
Unit.
If a body has been received without a reference number (i.e. has been removed from the
disaster site before being numbered) it must be given a Mortuary Reference Number
consisting of a the letter "M" followed by a number which must be attached to the body.
Suitable labels and marker pens/pencils should form part of the mortuary equipment. It may
well be necessary to begin filling in a Disaster Victim Identification form at this point.

To summarize, bodies and body bags will be marked, for example:

46-102/83: indicating that it is body number 46 removed from the site at grid co-ordinate
102/83
47P-103/84: indicating that it is part number 47 removed from the site at grid co-ordinate
103/84
M12: indicating that it is body or part number 12 which was labelled at the mortuary and
therefore does not bear a site co-ordinate.

Note: Bags bearing an "E" number (e.g. E95-45/86) are property bags which should not be
stored with the bodies; they should be kept in a property store.

Whenever a body is taken from storage to examination, this must be indicated on the
appropriate storage sheet (date and time, and to whom handed). When it is returned from
examination this again is indicated on the storage sheet and the receiving officer will then
reassume responsibility for the body.

Facilities for the specialized work of embalming may have to be established within or close to
the Body Movement Unit. It should be remembered that bodies may have to be re-examined
and therefore only identified bodies should be embalmed. Embalming, coffining and the
storage of coffins will require substantial space.

Before this Unit hands bodies to the Body Release Unit for disposal, permission must be
obtained from the investigator in Charge or the Director of Victim Identification to ensure that
no further examinations will be necessary.

4.4.3 PM Records Unit

The PM Records Unit is responsible for collating the post-mortem descriptions and findings
for each individual body. An officer from this Unit should be posted at the Body Reception
Point in order to accept all copies of the pink Disaster Victim Identification form which arrive
with bodies. If the forms do not arrive with the bodies, arrangements must be made to have
them transferred from the scene. It will be the responsibility of this officer to number and
commence a Disaster Victim Identification PM form for all bodies that arrive without
numbers or unbagged. (The "M" numbering system described above should be used).

Each body to be moved into the examination room for physical description should be placed
in the custody of a PM records officer. He should follow the body through all the examination
stages until it can be returned for storage. He should sign his name on the appropriate storage
sheet when he takes over the body, and should have his own PM check list signed by the
receiving officer when he returns it.
The PM records officer should be in possession of a pink PM Disaster Victim Identification
for each body.

Photography and fingerprinting take far less time than external and internal examinations.
The PM records officer may therefore call on a member of the PM Photography or PM
Fingerprint Unit at the appropriate times. Members of these sections will keep their own
records; the PM records officer only needs to mark the time and the name of the specialist
involved on his check list, and indicate whether photographs and fingerprints have been taken.

The PM records officer will be responsible for recording, under dictation, the physical
description and features, particulars of clothing and property, and the autopsy findings.
However, if two pathologists are participating in the examination, it may be better for one of
them to record the autopsy findings because of the technical aspects involved.

Dentists will often operate in teams, one of whom will complete the relevant parts of the
Disaster Victim Identification form - again, because of the specific terminology used - whilst
others will co-operate in displaying, cleaning and inspecting teeth, or removing jaws.

When physical examinations are completed the body must be re-bagged before being returned
to storage; again the body and bag must bear the correct number. The PM records officer
should check once more that he is in possession of all parts of the Disaster Victim
Identification form concerning that body before he hands the set of documents to the PM Files
Unit; if documents are missing because of ongoing specific examinations this fact can easily
be established from the PM check list.

4.4.4 Body Examination Unit

The Body Examination Unit will be responsible for providing personnel for the mortuary
functions (specialists, attendants, etc.) and the facilities necessary for carrying out body
examination procedures effectively (e.g. suitable premises, ventilation, good lighting, running
water, tables, instruments, clothing, etc.). The availability of these facilities has often
influenced where the Mortuary Branch is located; even if the location is not perfect, it may
have to be accepted as the best available in the circumstances.

The premises should cater for the needs of all the various sections involved, (photographs,
fingerprints, property, medical, dental, documentation, embalming and viewing) as well as for
special facilities for property cleaning, X-rays, specimen photography, etc.

The welfare of the personnel is very important and there must be provision for washing,
changing, eating and resting. It is recommended that the staff work two-hour shifts.

In consultation with the specialists involved, the officer in charge of this Unit must decide
how many examination points can be set up and the sequence of body examination. If, as
recommended, bodies are placed on wheeled tables or trolleys, it is relatively simple to move
them from one specialist to another rather than have the specialists continually moving around
the mortuary with their equipment.

4.4.4.1 PM Photography Unit

Photographs, preferably in colour, should be taken of each body during the various stages of
examination. The photographer should always take full-body and full-face pictures as well as
close-ups of specific external findings; he will also be needed during the ensuing internal
examination for continuity. The body reference number should be clearly visible in each
photograph. Ideally one photographer should be allocated to each body and follow it through
every stage. Consequently, the number of photographers may need to equal the number of
examination points.

Photographers will keep their own records of exposures for each film, listing the film number,
exposure number, body reference number or item, date and time. The records should be
signed by the photographer before being handed, together with the exposed film, to the PM
Photography Unit for processing.

As property items taken from bodies may need cleaning and disinfecting prior to photography,
the PM Photography Unit may receive such items from the PM Property Unit at a later time
with a request for photographs to be taken. Similarly the PM Property Unit may receive
property found at the disaster scene; after cleaning, the contents may also be forwarded for
photography. Separate photographic services may therefore be required.

The PM Photography Unit will be responsible for all films sent out from the Mortuary Branch
for processing. When photography of individual bodies or items is complete the results
should be forwarded directly to the Identification Centre Photography Unit for inclusion under
the appropriate reference number.

4.4.4.2 PM Fingerprint Unit

The PM Fingerprint Unit might well be the smallest of the body examination units as the
procedures may require fewer resources, depending on the condition of the body. It will be
the responsibility of the PM records officer to call a PM Fingerprint Unit officer at the
appropriate time, which is likely to be after clothes have been removed and while clothing and
property are being recorded.

The fingerprint expert must ensure that every set of prints is marked with the body reference
number. He will keep his own consecutive list of bodies fingerprinted (date, time, reference
number, remarks). Completed prints should be forwarded to the Identification Centre
Fingerprint Unit for classification and later use.

4.4.4.3 PM Property Unit

Mortuary attendants will be responsible for opening body bags in the presence of a pathologist
and the PM records officer; the latter will be responsible for listing all property on the
Disaster Victim Identification form.

If loose or separately bagged property is found within the body bag, this should be described
and listed first. The clothing should then be searched, and any additional items should be
described and listed. Clothing should be systematically removed from the body, examined for
names and laundry or dry-cleaning marks, described and listed. Finally, rings, watches, etc.
can be removed, described and listed. All property should be bagged, clearly numbered, and
cross-referenced with the body number.
Property will be forwarded, as and when necessary, to a cleaning and disinfecting team and to
photographers.

These procedures will take some time, and descriptions may therefore have to be forwarded
directly to the Identification Centre Property Unit for inclusion under the appropriate reference
number and later use. The PM Property Unit will be responsible for keeping all property and
personal effects secure, ready for re-examination if necessary, for viewing by relatives when
and where appropriate, and for final disposal.

"E" numbered property recovered separately from the disaster scene may have been received
and stored earlier. Since such property will be of limited value in victim identification, care
should be taken to keep it separate from property found with bodies. "E" numbered bags
should be opened last; the contents should be cleaned, if necessary photographed, and then
described. In view of the workload which will be experienced by the Identification Centre
Property Unit, there should be no attempt to "identify" this loose property and return it to its
lawful owners until the victim identification procedures have been completed.

4.4.4.4 PM Medical Unit

A pathologist must always be present during the external examination and description of the
naked body. A PM records officer should take dictation and enter information on the
appropriate pages of the Disaster Victim Identification PM Form.

A second pathologist may be required to assist with internal examinations and/or take over the
recording of findings on Disaster Victim Identification PM Forms. Particular attention must
be paid to all possible identifying features, and important findings should be photographed.

It is recommended that an appropriate sample (see 4.5.2.6) be obtained at this stage in case
later DNA analysis is deemed necessary. Obtaining, handling, storing and transferring such
specimens is the responsibility of the forensic pathologists and odontologists operating in the
PM Medical Unit.

When all whole bodies have been examined, the bags containing body parts can be dealt with.
If remains of teeth and jaws are found, the PM Dental Unit must be informed. It is at this
stage that body parts can often be related and brought together, but only as a result of expert
examination by pathologists and/or scientists.

4.4.4.5 PM Dental Unit

Dental examinations can only be carried out by qualified dentists. Laying out, cleaning and
describing dentistry in detail can be a lengthy process and dental examinations may therefore
delay the flow of bodies through the examination room.

If required the PM Dental Unit will arrange for dental X-ray apparatus to be set up at a
convenient place within the examination room (bearing in mind precautions with regard to
radiation and power supply). In such cases bodies will have to be moved to this location for
exposures. The Unit may also need to arrange for its own special photography of teeth in
place or of specimens removed. It will be responsible for X-ray film processing and for
adding any additional information to the descriptive section of the Disaster Victim
Identification PM Form.
Finally, if teeth or jaws are taken from a body, the Unit will again be responsible for all further
handling and for the proper recording of additional data. This may mean that the PM records
officer will have to leave the appropriate part of the Disaster Victim Identification PM Form
with the PM Dental Unit, which will forward it directly to the Identification Centre Dental
Unit when complete.
4.4.5 PM Files Unit

The PM Files Unit will collect PM sets of documents relating to individual bodies from the
PM records officer as they are completed. Photographs, final property descriptions and
specific medical and dental data may not be available at this stage, and it is therefore
imperative for the PM Files Unit to keep track of outstanding data and ensure that it is
correctly filed when it is eventually received.

Sets of PM documents should be filed numerically in three groups:

Those bearing only a number (whole bodies numbered at the scene of the incident)
Those bearing a number preceded by a "P" (parts of bodies)
Those bearing a number preceded by the letter "M" (number given at the mortuary)

"E" numbered documents, relating to property, must not be filed in this section but forwarded
directly to the Identification Centre Property Unit.

The PM Files Unit will be responsible for keeping files secure until they can be transferred to
the Identification Centre Files Unit. For practical reasons, incomplete sets of documents may
have to be transferred. Any missing items must be clearly indicated and forwarded later.

The check list of contents (printed on the front of the Disaster Victim Identification Forms)
can be used for this purpose. It should be noted that if photocopying is necessary, yellow and
pink documents will appear in black and white. Copying on appropriately coloured paper will
avoid any possible mistakes but, if this is not possible, documents should be constantly
checked (upper left corner) to establish whether they refer to a missing person or dead body.
To minimize confusion it is strongly recommended that all copies be clearly marked "COPY".
 INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE

Director of
Victim Identification

Mortuary Branch
Missing Persons
Unit PM Records:
Medical
Master
AM Records Dental
Diagrams
Fingerprints
Property
Photographs Composite
X-rays Diagrams
Identification
Files Unit Reconciliation
sessions
AM Records

Death Identity
certificate confirmed

Final
Mortuary
Identification
Diagrams
Body
release

Chart No. 6
Identification Centre: Flow Chart
4.5 IDENTIFICATION CENTRE (See Chart No.6)

The Identification Centre compares AM and PM documents forwarded from the AM and PM
Files Units.

The Centre comprises an Identification Files Unit and a number of specialized sections, the
latter responsible for comparing the technical portions of the AM and PM data. Results
obtained from the specialized sections are fed back to the Identification Files Section to be
combined into one master list of results.

For practical reasons AM and PM File Sections should be established close to their respective
sources of information. The Identification Centre, on the other hand, can be set up
independently wherever adequate facilities are available (offices, a copying service, computer
assistance, projectors, etc.); however it will prove far more convenient if the centre can be
established as an extension either of the Missing Persons Branch (in the Communications
Centre) or of the Mortuary Branch. If appropriate, personnel from the AM and PM File
Sections could be transferred to the Identification Files Section as their workload decreases.

The Identification Centre can save considerable time by using a computerized matching
program to suggest the most likely possible matches quickly, and to establish potential
eliminations with a high degree of probability. It is essential to remember, however, that any
computer program is merely an aid, and that final conclusions and decisions can only be made
after personal evaluation of all the data available.

4.5.1 Identification Centre File Section

The Identification Centre Files Section will take charge of the AM and PM document sets as
they arrive. It must continue to liaise with the AM and PM File Sections for as long as they
are operating, i.e. until a final Victim List has been established, complete sets of AM
documents have been received for all names on the list, and complete sets of PM documents
have been received for all unidentified bodies.

The Identification Centre Files Section will start by setting up a collection of AM Files in
alphabetical order and a collection of PM Files in numerical order, the latter subdivided into
files bearing only a number, files bearing the letter "M" and files "P". It is recommended that
the sub-file of numbers preceded by a "P" should be held back for the time being because the
likelihood of body parts being identified independently is small.

It may, however, be possible to match and correlate body parts later this will be for experts in
the Identification Centre Medical Section to undertake once they have finished comparing
"whole body" data with AM data. Accordingly, the Identification Centre File Section will
ultimately be concerned with one AM file and one PM file (whose number may or may not be
preceded by an "M") per victim. These two sets of files now have to be rearranged.

4.5.1.1 File Subdivision

The primary function of the Identification Centre File Section is to facilitate the comparison
being undertaken by the specialist sections.

It is generally unnecessary to compare all AM and PM data if both groups of records can be
effectively sub divided into clearly defined groups, but it is accepted that in some cases it may
be impossible to group PM data, perhaps, for example, because bodies are severely mutilated.

The number and type of subdivisions will clearly depend on the circumstances of the incident,
but it may be considered useful when possible, to sort both AM and PM data into categories
such as:

Race/skin colour: Caucasoid

Mongoloid
Negroid

(Estimated) Age : under 15

15 - 70.
over 70 .

Sex: male or female

This would already constitute 18 possible groups, within which, at least in the first instance,
the most likely comparisons could to be attempted first. This system will also reduce the
number of AM data files in circulation at any one time.

It is not always clear from the outset whether a body will be easy, difficult or impossible to
identify, and it is therefore most important to adopt a systematic approach to the comparison
process.

Experts in the various sections will know what priority and weight to attribute to the various
features used for identification in each of their fields. However, experience has shown that
even if everyone concerned hopes for quick identifications, the temptation to look first for
"easy characteristics" should be resisted: this will not expedite the overall process and, if
attempted, may generate an unmanageable flow of paperwork. Also, in many cases, the
bodies may prove to be not as easily identifiable as was hoped and further comparisons will be
required.

All the specialized sections must be instructed to conduct their comparisons systematically
and express their conclusions clearly as "identity", "uncertain" or "elimination" in each case.
One method of reaching such conclusions and recording them, which has been tried and
tested, is the Elimination Diagrams system described in detail in chapter 5.

4.5.2 Specialized Sections

4.5.2.1 Identification Centre Photography Section

While this section is established to provide photographic records of the findings made by the
expert sections, there may well be other photographs included among the Am data on the
missing persons. Comparing such private photographs with PM photographs to establish
common features (e.g. hairstyle, deformities), may well prove useful.

4.5.2.2 Identification Centre Fingerprint Section

This section will be manned by experts trained in assessing fingerprint evidence. Its first task
is to classify all PM prints taken by the PM Fingerprint Unit. Although fingerprint evidence is
not dependent upon sex, race and age, it may be more expedient in disasters to file and
compare them based on such groupings rather than by conventional classification. Whichever
system is used, AM and PM fingerprints both need to be filed under similar categories.

4.5.2.3 Identification Centre Property Section

The Identification Centre property Section will deal with the identification of all personal
effects removed from the bodies, often in liaison with the Identification Centre Photography
Section.

In principle, its staff will compare written data (AM reports and PM property descriptions)
with the actual property removed from a body, and/or with the photographs of such items.
They will have the advantage of being able to re-examine property before reaching a
conclusion. As stated above, property is of limited value for elimination or identification, but
could well support other evidence.

This Section will also be responsible for determining ownership of other property recovered
independently from the disaster scene and contained in "E" numbered bags.

4.5.2.4 Identification Centre Medical Section

The work of this Section will involve the comparison of a large number of physical features.
Whilst totally incompatible features will result in elimination, similar "general" features
should not be considered as more than possible evidence of identification.

Specific features (external as well as internal) may offer good chances of identification and
elimination. This Section should therefore conduct its comparisons methodically and in
detail.

When all comparisons have been completed, this Section must begin trying to match body
parts (in "P" numbered bags) and to bring the various parts of a single body together, wherever
possible. The use of a standard anatomic sketch of the human body, included in the Disaster
Victim Identification AM and PM sets of forms, may be of assistance in this respect.

The Identification Centre Files Section must ensure that whenever various body parts are
reunited, all the relevant sets of PM data are collated and submitted for comparison with AM
data.
4.5.2.5 Identification Centre Dental Section

A large number of specific details can be compared in this section which gives it particular
potential for bringing about eliminations as well as identifications. The amount of work
involved will dictate the number of specialists required.

One possible way of working would be to display a single AM record at a time, so that the
team of dentists can compare it with the PM records they have completed. This will also give
hem an opportunity of discussing and agreeing on their findings.

Whilst computer matching may speed up this process by rapidly establishing eliminations and
possibilities, once again the final judgment must be made by a professional expert and be
based on personal evaluation of the evidence.

It should be anticipated that this part of the identification process may cause a bottleneck
because of the amount of detail to be compared, including photographs and X-rays. It is
clearly important to provide the necessary technical equipment to assist in making these
comparisons.

The Identification Centre Dental Section may also be required to examine and fragmentary
dental remains and cross-check them with individual bodies. When there is a match, the
Identification Centre Files Section must ensure that all sets of documents relating to dental
features are attached to the relevant sets of documents for the rest of the body.

Note: It is strongly recommended that any original AM dental or medical X-rays available be
obtained and used for comparison purposes. Transcribing or copying could reduce the quality
of the information.

4.5.2.6 DNA Analysis

Because the analytical procedures used in genetic identification are extremely sensitive, it is
essential to prepare, preserve and transfer all samples to a laboratory which uses precisely
defined methods, as listed below.

Sampling should take place during the autopsy, and the samples should be transferred to a
forensic science laboratory immediately
The samples must be taken from the least affected material (cardiac blood, bone marrow,
teeth, brain tissue muscle, bone, hair)
The persons taking the samples must wear protective clothing (e.g. gloves, facemasks)
Details of the procedures to be used must provided by the laboratory

4.5.3 Identification Board

The responsibility of the Identification Board is to:

check the results of comparisons made by the various specialized sections

locate and reconcile possible inconsistencies
combine the results into one final list of identifications.
The Board will ultimately be responsible for the final identification of each individual victim
and should therefore be composed of the most experienced identification experts involved in
the whole operation, i.e. the chiefs of the various specialized sections, headed by the Director
of Victim Identification or his deputy.

Any "immediate" identifications made by the Identification Board can be separated from the
outstanding data but will need to be entered in a file of Bodies Identified, still classified into
the appropriate victim Groups. Sets of AM and PM documents for all identified bodies
should be filed in pairs, in individual binders each of which should be marked with the
victim's name and body number. The binders should then be filed numerically.

The Identification Board will need to decide whether, and when, individual identification
documents should be compiled and death certificates issued, e.g. as soon as identity is
confirmed, once a day or at less frequent intervals. In some countries a one-page death
certificate will suffice to allow a body pass to be issued, whereas others may require a
complete body description which will involve much more clerical work. It would be very
helpful to appoint a separate Body Release Section to handle this task.

It must be borne in mind that as long as there are still unidentified bodies, there will always be
the possibility that some or all of those previously identified have to be re-examined. For this
reason, body release should not be unduly precipitated and embalming, for instance, should
not be carried out until absolutely necessary.

4.5.4 Body Release Section

Body release will involve a number of practical issues most effectively dealt with by a specific
Body Release Section working in liaison with the Body Movement Section in the Mortuary
Centre.

The Body Release Section should be the office through which the Director of Victim
Identification informs families that all procedures in respect of their relatives have been
completed. This information should always reach the family before any relevant press releases
are made.

There will inevitably be a number of questions to answer before a body can be repatriated and
it is recommended that a check list be drawn up. The use of a standard format will ensure that
all the relevant information can be obtained from families including, the answers to the
following questions:

has a funeral director been engaged (if so, name and address)?
if not, should the body be embalmed?
should the body be repatriated?
should the body be buried/cremated locally?
should a funeral service be held (religion)?
will the family provide the coffin and transport?
if not, where should the body be sent?
to whom should personal belongings be sent?
should any such belongings, including jewellery, be buried with the victim?
Relatives may wish to view the deceased before burial or cremation; in such cases the
Director of Victim Identification should be consulted. By referring to the PM documents, he
can advise on the condition of bodies and their suitability for viewing. Substantial assistance
can be given by Social Services personnel to visiting relatives and, indeed, to the staff
required to work in this area of the operation.

A large amount of space and sufficient personnel will be required to carry out the wide range
of duties performed in the Body Release Section. For example, coffins must be ordered and
stored, and arrangements may have to be made for embalming, facial reconstruction of those
to be viewed, shrouding and coffining (if metal lids are used they will require soldering) one
or more funeral ceremonies (even for those not identified), transportation, etc.

The Director of Victim Identification will issue a Release Certificate for each body identified;
it should bear the body reference number and the name of the person whose body has been
identified, as well as a check list of accompanying documents (identification document, death
certificate, copy of the autopsy report where requested, body pass), the instructions given by
the family, the date and time when the coffin left the Section, and by whom and where it was
taken. It should be signed upon completion by the Officer in Charge of the Body Release
Section and returned to the Identification Files Section.

For international regulations on the transportation of dead bodies between countries see
Appendices.

___________________________________________________________________________

Notes:
Chapter 5 Elimination Tables

5.1 INTRODUCTION

It is often possible, especially when the number of fatalities is relatively small, to identify
victims using the completed AM and PM forms alone, but help may be provided by the use of
elimination tables. These are designed to bring together the results of comparisons made by
all specialist units (medical, fingerprint, dental, photography, property, etc.) and to culminate
in a final identification table.

Obviously each member country will decide whether or not to use a system of this type, but
elimination tables, which are best prepared by the Identification Files Unit, can undoubtedly
break down a complicated process into more manageable segments and provide a clear picture
of what has been achieved.

The Interpol Elimination Table consists of a grid with the names of missing persons in a
particular category listed vertically, and blocks of body reference numbers marked at the top
of the vertical columns. The result of comparing AM and PM data will be marked in the
squares to indicate either "elimination", "uncertain" or "identification". Each body number
and each missing persons name will eventually have only one square in common, i.e. where
data matches, and the body is identified.

In order to make the procedure easier it is recommended that the tables be presented in
categories of ten missing persons names and ten body reference numbers (see Chart No. 1).
The ten names should be made up from the categories referred to in Unit 4.5.1.1 of this guide
(age, race, sex) to reduce the number of unnecessary comparisons; it would be an obvious
waste of effort, for example, to compare the AM details of a 5-year old male with the PM
findings of a female estimated to be over 70 years of age.

Ideally, names should be listed alphabetically and body numbers numerically, but in practice
this will almost certainly be impossible because the forwarding of completed sets of AM and
PM documents cannot be delayed merely for this purpose.

It can be seen from the specimen tables included in this guide that for each of the categories
there will be blocks of ten AM and ten PM records, with as many categories and blocks as
necessary. Records for each of these blocks must be kept together.

When the first ten sets of AM documents for one of the categories has been received they can
be arranged (alphabetically if possible) on the elimination table: the first page of the table
should be marked Part A in the left margin. The next ten AM sets pertaining to the same
category, when received, are similarly recorded on a second page marked "Part B". The same
procedure will then continue until the total number of AM sets has been listed. When joined
together vertically, the various pages will make one long list.
When the first ten sets of PM documents for this category have reached the Identification Files
Unit they can be arranged in numerical order, the reference numbers entered on the
Elimination Table "Part A" and the number "1" entered as the block number. This table can
then be photocopied and distributed, together with the relevant AM and PM records, to
specialist units for completion. Each copy must be marked in the top right corner with the
name of the specialist unit to which it was sent. If within this category there are further table
pages (B, C, D etc.) they must be endorsed with the same ten reference numbers as Part A
(same sequence, same place) and all be marked "block 1".

When the next ten body reference numbers for this category become available they can again
be arranged in numerical order, completed in the same order, with the names of the missing
persons in that category, and the page marked with the relevant letter.

Tables in the second and subsequent blocks are consecutively numbered 2, "3", "4" etc. -
and each block must be attached to a complete set of tables containing missing persons' names
marked Part A, B, C etc.. These blocks of ten body numbers will subsequently be joined
together to make a larger, wider list.

It is important to keep the AM and PM document sets together in their blocks and not allow
them to become mixed with other AM documents from the same categories.

The separate elimination tables are eventually collated as a single master table upon which the
findings of each specialist unit can be seen.

Briefly, the purpose of this system is to:

(a) make the comparison process more manageable

(b) speed up the process and avoid unnecessary comparisons,
(c) ensure that the PM data from every unknown body within a given category is compared
with the AM data
(d) ensure that all specialist units are using the same procedure
(e) provide a basis from which a master table can be constructed.

5.2 SPECIALIST UNITS

The chiefs of each specialist unit will be responsible for supervising comparison procedures
and ensuring that elimination tables are endorsed with the result of each comparison
undertaken. Each unit chief should be carefully and thoroughly briefed before operations
begin, in order to ensure that standardized methods are used.

If the elimination table described here is used, the following three markings are the simplest
and most effective with which to show results.

When a result is an elimination, the appropriate square should be marked with a cross (X)
in black.
When a result is uncertain, the square should be marked with a dash (-) in black.
When the result is an identification, the square should be marked with a circle (O) in red
(to make the result more clearly visible).

An example of a completed table is shown in Figure 2 where the circle (which will be in red
on the actual form) shows a positive identification. It should be noted that once such an
identification has been made, it is no longer necessary to compare other AM data with the
body or PM data with the name, unless some doubt arises in the future.

As the overall identification procedure draws to a close, a number of difficult cases may
become more obvious. If PM fingerprints are available for these cases, but no AM prints, the
Identification Fingerprint Unit may be asked to obtain AM prints from the homes (or
workplaces, etc.) of missing persons who, according to the grouping, are "possibles".
 Male Block Specialist Section:
Sex Group ______ MEDICAL
Race Group white
______ 1 Body Numbers
Age Group 15-70
______
PART Age: 02 03 07 13 19 26 27 38 41 51

A Brown B 31 X - - X - - - X - -
Dupres A. 52 X - X - - X - - - - Elimination

Forest R 17 - - - X - - X - - X Positive
Identification
Herman R 29 - X - - - -
X - - X -
Johanson P 48 - X - - O - - X - - Uncertain

Limon R 66 X
- X X X X X - - X
Neville C 58 - X - - X - - - X -
Pierot P 51
- - X - - - X - - X
Reville T 22
- - - - X - X X - -
Smith A 37 X
- X - X - - X - -
Figure 2
Standard Elimination Diagram
showing findings of Medical Section
5.3 UNIT MASTER TABLES

The sets of AM and PM documents returned from the various specialist units will need to be
filed by the Identification Files Unit, whilst the various elimination tables should be kept in
their respective age/sex/race, etc. categories.

Once all the tables have been received from the specialist units, they can be combined into a
single unit master table (one for each of the specialist units) as follows.

1. All marked "Block 1" are organized and taped together so that the names column runs
from top to bottom in alphabetical order. It is recommended that the sheets overlap so that
only the names are visible, and not the table heading.

2. All subsequent blocks are similarly placed in order to produce several long lists.

3. The various blocks can then be placed side by side in numerical order, overlapping and
joined.

A large master table can be constructed (see Figure 3) for each specialist unit and these will
then be passed to the Identification Board. The importance of listing missing persons and
body numbers identically on each sheet can now be appreciated.

Sex Group Female

Race Group white COMPOSITE DIAGRAM Female/white/under 15 yrs
Age Group under 15 Body Numbers
Fingerprints Photography
Age 05 06 08 10 18
X X X X
- - - - X X - -
Green A 12 X - X X -
X X X X - - - - - - X Property

X X
X - - X X X - - - -
Davies R 14 - - X X Medical Dental
X X - - - - X - - -
- Eliminated by
fingerprints,
- - - - X - X X X - medical &
Kudashi R 10
- X - X - dental findings
X - - - - X - X - - -
photography &
X - X X - - X X X - dental
Van Meer R 8 - - X X - uncertain
X - X - - - - X X X

- X X X - - X - O O
Identification
Saltzer P 13 - X - O agreed by all
- - - - - - - X O O expert groups

Figure 3
Part of master table for marking findings
5.4 IDENTIFICATION BOARD

The Identification Board will be concerned only with examining the master tables produced
by each unit, and each unit chief will be responsible for producing a master table on the basis
of the tables filled in by the different groups of his own unit. He should verify that each page
bears the name of his unit and that all single sheets making up the master table are from the
same group. Only if this process is performed accurately, can incorrect identifications be
avoided.

Next, unit chiefs should check that there are no double identifications in any of their units'
master tables, by seeing whether there are two or more red circles (positive identifications) in
any vertical column or horizontal row. If a double identification is found, the AM and PM
documents must be re-examined. This is best undertaken in consultation with the experts who
carried out the original comparisons.

The next step is to turn each dash (uncertain) into a cross (eliminated) in every horizontal and
vertical column in which there is a confirmed identification. It is suggested that this is be
done in green, to distinguish new crosses from earlier eliminations.

Eventually, if each missing person is linked to a body, the table will show only one red circle
in each row and column, and crosses in all other squares.

Theoretically, if a single dash (i.e. uncertain) remains in any row the body concerned has been
identified by elimination if the missing persons list was accurate in terms of total numbers and
names. However, the aim should always be to obtain factual evidence of identity in every
case.

This process will be time-consuming but will culminate in specialist units all agreeing on the
identification of each body. It will also make it possible to prepare a composite table for each
category of victims, since information will have been supplied by all specialist units in the
same order and format.
 Sex Group Male Block Specialist Section: Block Specialist Section:
1 2
white Medical
Medical
Age Group 15 - 70

Age
02 03 07 13 19 26 27 38 41 51 05 17 18 22 31 36
Part
Brown B. 31 X - - X - - - X - - - X X - - -
A Dupres A. 52 X - X - - X - - - - X X - - - X

Forest R. 17 - - - X - - X - - X - - - - X -
Herman R. 29 - X - - - X - - X - - X - X - X

Johanson P. 48 - X - - O - - X - - - - - X - X

Limon R. 66 X - X X X X - - - X - - X - - -
Neville C. 58 - X - - X - - - X - X - - - X -
Pierot P. 51 - - X - - - X - - X - - - X - -
Reville T. 22 - - - - X - X X - - - - X - - X
Smith A. 37 X - X - X - - X - - - X - - X -
Part
Jackson B. 44 - - - X - - - X - - X X - - - -
Sunara S. 19 - - X - - - X - - - - - - X - -
B
Goldblum A. 31 - - - - - X X X - - - - - - X -
Sanchez V. 28 - - - X - - - - X - - - X - - X

Vicarez F. 56 X - - - X - - - - - - X - - - -
Tomas D. 39 - - X - - - X - - - X O - - - -
Carter R. 27 - - - - X X - - - X - - - X - -

Figure 4
ID Medical Section Master Chart
(reduced)
5.5 COMPOSITE TABLES (see Figure 4)

Having agreed on each identification, the five specialist units (fingerprints, photography,
property, medical, dental) are then able to combine the unit master tables into a composite
table for each category of victim i.e. age/sex/race, etc.

It is recommended that each square on the composite table be filled in with the findings of
each of the five specialist units using the symbols X, O or -. It will be much more manageable
if each specialist category enters its finding (symbol) in the same part of each square on each
table. For example, fingerprints - top left corner, photography - top right, property - centre,
medical - bottom left and dental - bottom right. In this way identification by fingerprints, for
example, can be located quickly.

Dashes (uncertain) show that one or more specialist units were unable to reach a conclusion.
If, however, a square contains both crosses (elimination) and circles (identification) this will
highlight a discrepancy that can only be resolved by reconsidering the relevant AM and PM
data. In such cases, if the positive identification was based on fingerprints or teeth and dental
records it could be accepted as valid, but in all other cases discrepancies must be re-examined.

If, for example, twelve categories of victims were established (e.g. by permutations of age, sex
and colour) the result will be twelve composite tables showing the agreement reached for each
body and missing person.

On completion, all composite tables must again be checked for errors that may have occurred
in transferring details and, in particular, for any double identifications.

The result of this whole operation will be that a number of composite tables (twelve in the
above example), containing no inconsistencies, have been created. These can then be used to
construct the final identification table.

5.6 FINAL IDENTIFICATION TABLE

The Identification Board can now use the composite tables for the different categories of
victims (age, sex, colour etc.) to decide which identifications are to be accepted as final.
Those decisions will be recorded on a final identification chart which will be similar in
appearance to unit master tables but will have the appropriate title. The same system of
marking as before (i.e. X and O) should be used. It is suggested that, when examining the
findings shown on the composite tables, the Board should begin by accepting the
identifications based on fingerprints or teeth and dental records, these being the most reliable.

The squares containing two or more circles, indicating a positive identification by two or more
specialist units should be located. Where at least one of those identifications is based on
fingerprint, medical and/or dental evidence, it can probably also be deemed correct.

It will be apparent that the final identification table does not show individual unit results. No
dashes (uncertain) will appear, and crosses (elimination) will only be shown when there is
already an accepted identification recorded in that column or row (shown by a circle). At this
point, the final identification table represents the "immediate identifications" that have been
obtained from the first round of expert comparisons in all five units.
It has been found that an enlarged version of the final identification table can be of
considerable help in keeping Identification Centre personnel aware of the current situation at a
glance. If provided, it must be regularly updated solely by members of the Identification
Board to avoid the risk of incorrect entries liable to cause confusion. It may not be practical to
use this enlarged version for evidence purposes.

5.7 RECONCILIATION SESSIONS

The immediate identifications, in cases where adequate data was available, will have been
relatively easy for the Identification Board. The remaining cases, however, will require more
detailed consideration because the evidence may not be quite as clear. A number of
reconciliation sessions should therefore be planned involving the chief of the Identification
Files Unit and additional experts as necessary.

5.7.1 First Reconciliation Session

In preparation for the first reconciliation session the twelve completed composite tables
should again be examined and a list should be made of the cases (squares) in which a red
circle (identified) appears. The specialist units responsible for these results should be
reconvened to consider the appropriate AM and PM documents and ascertain the reliability of
each result, bearing in mind that the available data may be all that there is to work with.

At the first reconciliation session the Unit Chiefs involved should submit the results of their
units' deliberations. The Board will discuss each individual case and decide whether to accept
the identification suggested. When identifications are accepted they should be indicated by
drawing a large circle in the relevant square on the composite table and endorsing the final
identification table and the large-scale table accordingly.

The Identification Board should then deal with the eliminations as, at this stage, all the
remaining squares on the composite tables will contain only crosses and dashes. It is
suggested that all squares containing two or more crosses (eliminations) are accepted as such
and that a large cross be drawn on the relevant square. Once again, these eliminations must
also be shown on the final identification table and the large-scale table.

5.7.2 Second Reconciliation Session

In preparing for the second reconciliation session the cases (squares) in which only one
elimination mark appears (i.e. one cross and four dashes) should be listed. With the assistance
of this list, the specialist units involved should examine the relevant AM and PM documents
in detail; once again, that may be the only information available. As stated above, most
eliminations will probably originate in the Identification Medical and Dental Units so that it
may only be necessary to convene representatives of those two units.

The unit chiefs should submit their units' results relating to the single eliminations recorded on
their unit tables. The Board will then discuss each individual case and decide whether or not
to accept the elimination, in which case the fact must be clearly recorded on the composite
table by drawing a large cross in the appropriate square and endorsing the final identification
table and the large-scale table accordingly.
At this point the question of correct body grouping may need to be addressed. The following
procedure is recommended.

(1) If the total number of bodies recovered equals the number of names on the victim list,
first check that all victim categories contain the same number of bodies as victim names.
Should this not be the case it is obvious that a mistake or mistakes have been made, possibly
in an age category rather than sex or race.

There are three possibilities:

A body too many in a particular category means that a body has been misplaced from
another category to that one;
A body too few in a given category means that it must have been misplaced from that
category to another;
Even if there is the same number of bodies as names in a given category, there is still the
possibility that two mistakes were made in categories.

(2) If the number of bodies recovered does not equal the number of names on the victim list,
this may account for discrepancies in the number of bodies or names in any of the victim
categories. This should be kept in mind when the following steps are taken to try to find out
where mistakes were made.

Each of the composite tables should be checked for victim names which show a full
horizontal row of eliminations; in such cases a body belonging to that particular category
has either not been recovered or been wrongly assigned to another category.
Each of the composite tables should be checked for body numbers which show a full
vertical column of eliminations; in such cases, the body concerned should not be in that
category.

5.7.3 Subsequent Reconciliation Sessions

A list should be made of all the mistakes found in this way, and representatives of the
Identification Medical and Dental Units should be reconvened to examine the relevant sets of
AM and PM documents. Since incorrect age grouping is the most probable cause of mistakes,
there will only be one other victim category to which the wrongly assigned body can belong:
either the older category or the younger one. A "block X" of elimination tables for that other
category should be prepared, complete with heading and all victim names.

The data relating to the wrongly assigned body can now be compared with the data on all the
missing persons listed by the specialist units; these comparisons have not, in fact, been made
before. The results must be notified to the Identification Board for inclusion in the composite
table, corrections being made as necessary. If one or more identifications result from these
new comparisons, they must be recorded as described earlier, as must the accompanying
eliminations, and all the above processes must be repeated as new possibilities may have
become apparent.

5.7.4 Final Reconciliation Session

The Identification Board will now be ready for its final and most difficult reconciliation
session. The composite tables as corrected, need to be examined for vertical rows in which all
squares but one are crossed. In such cases the corresponding sets of AM and PM data should
be scrutinized by the expert panel which will consider identification by exclusion. If this can
be undertaken the ensuing results should be marked on the Disaster Victim Identification
forms and the final identification table. Similarly the composite tables should be examined
for horizontal rows in which all squares but one have been crossed; if any such cases are
found, the above process is repeated.

By this time the number of "open" squares in the composite table will have been considerably
reduced and it is possible that these last identifications by exclusion will have resulted in the
elimination of half the open squares in another row. The process of searching for vertical and
horizontal rows with only one open square should therefore be repeated every time a new
identification has been made and the accompanying eliminations listed; this is a sort of chain
reaction which has to be followed through to the end.

Next, vertical and horizontal rows with two open squares must be located. Again, the expert
panel should investigate whether in any such case, and knowing that there are only two
identity possibilities left, a re-evaluation of AM and PM data could lead to an identification.
For such a re-evaluation the expert panel should have all data material available (photographs,
X-rays, specimens, laboratory findings, etc.). At this final stage, information about
characteristics such as blood type will probably be of decisive importance in reaching a
conclusion.

If successful, this process again creates a chain reaction which must be followed through to
the end. A search for rows and columns with three or more open squares may then have to be
conducted.

By now, the number of bodies still unidentified will probably be small, and the experts may be
very familiar with the data. This is the time to take even the remote possibilities listed below
into consideration.

Could one of these bodies be an unreported missing person who is not on the victim list?
Could one of these persons have been put in the wrong category in respect of sex, race or
colour?
If PM fingerprints are available can AM prints be obtained?
If characteristic jewellery or other property has been taken from one of these bodies, can
further enquiries be made to try to have relatives or friends confirm or reject ownership?
If specific external features have been noted, can personal or family photographs be
obtained for comparison?
If specific internal features have been found, can hospital or physicians' records, including
X-rays and plaster models, be obtained for comparison from school, military, or other
sources?
If dental work has been carried out, can records be obtained for comparison?
Can old dentures, that might fit one of the remaining bodies be found at a missing person's
home?
In spite of all previous enquiries, could there be one or more persons on the victim list who
are not actually victims?
Could a wrong name have been put on the victim list by mistake, or fraudulently by
someone trying to change his or her identity?
It will be apparent that resolution of the final cases will depend to a great extent on finding
additional AM data for comparison with PM findings. This may require further visits to
relatives.

Given that there will be occasions when it is not possible to identify every body (e.g. when
there is no AM data for comparison and no missing person report) the Investigator in Charge
will need to decide when to draw the identification procedure to a close. In such cases, all PM
data must remain on file for later comparison if required. An alphabetical list of victims and a
corresponding numerical list of bodies identified will constitute the record of the result of the
whole operation.

Those who have experienced the final stages of victim identification will recognize the
tedious and tiring processes described here. Only by using a computer programme, or the
elimination table and its derivatives (master, composite, final etc.) can the Director of Victim
Identification maintain consistent and effective control of these processes. It is a step-by-step
operation that will only be successful if a clear and comprehensive overview of results is
continually maintained.

The formal conclusion of the identification operation will be the issue of an identification
document, a death certificate and - for foreign nationals - a body pass, for each identified
body.

Notes:
Chapter 6 International Co-operation

6.1 INTRODUCTION

The growth in international travel that has occurred in recent years will undoubtedly continue,
and this will considerably increase the likelihood of foreign nationals being involved in
disasters whether they be natural, caused by man or caused by failures in technology. Land,
sea and air transport are undoubtedly the sectors where the risks are greatest but, whatever the
cause of the disaster, there will almost certainly be an ensuing need to identify victims and an
expectation that this will be done in each and every case. The identification of victims and
investigation of the cause of the incident will generally be within the jurisdiction of the
country in which the disaster occurred, but may directly affect nationals or residents of other
countries and be affected by the legal systems of those countries.

In the case of aircraft disasters, for example, the country in which the aircraft was registered
will become involved, as will the country where it was manufactured. As a result ICAO
Contracting States have agreed upon certain minimum standards and procedures in respect of
technical investigations, and these are accepted by all the countries and agencies concerned.
Additional recommended procedures are also included in various international agreements. If
these agreements did not exist, each country with an interest in the case would have to re-
investigate the incident to its own required standard.

However, no such international standards or agreements currently exist in respect of the

identification of disaster victims. One consequence of this can be doubt in one country about
the conclusions reached in another country. Such doubts are often unfounded, but it must be
acknowledged that, on occasions, there have been incorrect or no identifications as a result of
using unsatisfactory methods. Distrust may also arise if insufficient documentary evidence is
made available after the event as proof of identification. Some countries have therefore felt
obliged to carry out - or perhaps duplicate - the identification processes, using their own
systems and resources; that could have been avoided had agreed standards been in force.

The identification of a foreign victim cannot always be achieved without the co-operation of
the authorities of that persons home country. Information about a missing person is essential
but, if the person's own country's authorities do not have confidence and trust, they may
withhold information and retain material for their own later use. There have been extreme
cases where all material has been withheld. This will clearly seriously hamper the
identification process: citizens of foreign countries involved in a disaster may remain
unidentified, and the accurate identification of other victims may also be compromised.

6.2 LIAISON BETWEEN MEMBER COUNTRIES

The following recommendations endeavour to ensure:

 smooth and efficient co-operation, either through Interpol or directly between member
countries, in the identification of victims;
the basic human rights of victims and next-of-kin with regard to accurate identification
whenever possible, irrespective of the origin of the deceased.

6.3 INTERNATIONAL IDENTIFICATION STANDARD

6.3.1 Responsibilities of the Interpol General Secretariat

It is recommended that the General Secretariat, under the authority of the General Assembly,
should:

(1) Maintain a Standing Committee on Disaster Victim Identification responsible for:

recommending measures for improving identification procedures and international co-

operation in the identification processes,
recommending improvements to, and the updating of, the Interpol Disaster Victim
Identification Forms and Guide, as experience is gained and new techniques are
discovered,
updating and circulating recommendations on methods, procedures and Disaster Victim
Identification documentation to member countries;

(2) Encourage member countries to accept and apply the Standing Committees
recommendations;

(3) Remind member countries of Resolution AGN/65/RES/13 (Appendix D) when dealing

with incidents involving foreign nationals;

(4) Ask for reports on the identification processes which took place after all known disasters
in member countries;

(5) Publish annual reports on disasters and keeps computerized records of such information
to be made available - on diskette or by other means - to all member countries upon
request.

6.3.2 Responsibilities of Member Countries

In preparation for circumstances where disaster victim identification might be required, each
member country is advised to take the following steps.

(1) Establish a Disaster Victim Identification Liaison Team affiliated to its National Central
Bureau (NCB) and comprising a police officer, a forensic pathologist and a forensic
odontologists whose names should be circulated to all member countries on a list kept up
to date by the General Secretariat. The members of this team should:
 be familiar with the Interpol disaster victim identification procedures, forms and
recommendations,
be responsible for all contact, via Interpol if necessary, with the NCB of a country in which
a disaster has occurred,
be responsible for providing ante-mortem information on the Interpol form in an Interpol
language, and for transmission of the form to the relevant countrys Disaster Victim
Identification Team,
be responsible for the transmission of all identification evidence to the country concerned,
ensure that, if a disaster occurs, their own regional and national authorities are informed of
the procedures described in the Interpol Disaster Victim Identification Guide, including
these recommendations.

(2) Establish a multidisciplinary Disaster Victim Identification Team (police officers,

forensic pathologist, forensic odontologist, etc.).

advise and assist the local police when a body or bodies are found which cannot rapidly be
identified by someone who knew the missing person or persons and when circumstances
suggest that identification may be difficult,
assist with disaster victim identification operations in another country.

6.3.2.1 If a disaster occurs on their territory, member countries should take the
following action:

immediately assume responsibility for identification,

notify all other countries whose citizens may be involved via Interpol,
obtain ante-mortem details on the Interpol Disaster Victim Identification Forms,
accept assistance from disaster victim identification personnel from countries whose
citizens are involved,
make permanent evidential records of disaster victim identification material and data, and
offer other countries disaster victim identification personnel an opportunity to examine
such records and material,
offer assisting Disaster Victim Identification Teams the opportunity to give their opinions
on the identification of their citizens,
allow assisting Disaster Victim Identification Teams to examine physical evidence
pertaining to the identification of their fellow citizens,
record all identification evidence on Interpol Disaster Victim Identification forms,

It is also strongly recommended that they:

invite disaster victim identification personnel from other countries whose citizens are
known to be involved, or if the task of identification is likely to be particularly difficult,
allow assisting disaster victim identification personnel to visit and examine the incident
site,
allow appropriate visiting disaster victim identification experts to take part in or witness
post-mortem examinations and subsequent data comparison,
ask assisting disaster victim identification personnel to sign identification documents,
provide opportunities for disaster victim identification personnel from other countries to
attend as observers, in order to gain experience.
6.3.2.2 Member countries whose citizens are missing in a disaster should:

promptly answer all requests for information and assistance from the country on whose
territory the incident has occurred,
immediately notify the relevant country when their nationals are reported as potentially
involved,
rapidly provide full ante-mortem information on their missing citizens, including
fingerprints, DNA samples, X-rays, dental records, etc., on Interpol forms and in an
Interpol language,
provide disaster victim identification expert assistance and equipment if requested,
keep copies of any documents sent to another country,
sign the identification documents completed by the country in which the incident has
occurred, seeking permission to do so if necessary.

6.4 CONCLUSION

Victims of disasters may not all be citizens of the country in which the disaster occurs.
Whenever foreign nationals are or may be involved, the country dealing with identification
should rapidly establish and then maintain close co-operation with the home countries of
potential victims. It is preferable for a liaison officer from each of the countries involved to
be attached to the disaster victim identification operation, for liaison purposes and to ensure
that information is shared.

If a large number of victims are from a foreign country in which there is an established Victim
Identification Commission, greater assistance from that country - in terms of expertise and
equipment - could be sought. Although an expert group from a foreign country will normally
work under the authority of the country inviting it to participate, there have been incidents in
which the country dealing with the disaster did not possess the required expertise and
resources. There have been cases where some or all responsibility for identification has been
delegated to the foreign group.

There are no international agreements on co-operation or the delegation of responsibility for

disaster victim identification. Member countries are therefore advised to explore the
possibility of one or more of their identification experts travelling immediately to the country
in which an incident has occurred when their citizens are or may be victims. This would
necessitate keeping a list of such experts with particulars of personal data, passport numbers
and expiry dates, vaccinations and expiry dates, and photographs to facilitate visa
applications. For each key person, alternatives should be listed in case that person is not
available at the critical time. All those on the list must be prepared to travel at very short
notice, and the important questions of personal insurance and remuneration on such occasions
must be agreed on beforehand.

It may be possible for identification experts to be granted temporary diplomatic status on such
occasions or, in the case of a commercial aircraft accident, be affiliated to a technical
investigation commission for which international regulations already exist (viz. the ICAO
Standards and Recommended Practices, Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention on International
Civil Aviation).

Finally, the formation of one or more Interpol-approved International Identification

Commissions may be considered the best way of assisting a member country, or other
organizations such as the United Nations, whenever expertise and resources for handling
victim identification are scarce or where impartiality is necessary.

___________________________________________________________________________

Notes:
 Appendix A

INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS FOR BODY TRANSPORT

League of Nations

International Arrangement concerning the conveyance of corpses

Signed at Berlin, February 10th, 1937

Desirous of avoiding the difficulties resulting from differences in the regulations concerning the
conveyance of corpses, and considering the convenience of laying down uniform regulations in
the matter, the undersigned Governments undertake to accept the entry into their territory, or the
passage in transit through their territory, of the corpses of persons deceased on the territory of
any one of the other contracting countries on condition that the following regulations are
complied with:

A. General Regulations

ARTICLE 1

For the conveyance of any corpse by any means and under any conditions, a special laissez-
passer (laissez-passer for a corpse) complying as far as possible with the model annexed hereto,
and in any case stating the surname, first name and age of the deceased person, and the place,
date and cause of decease, shall be required; the said laissez-passer shall be issued by the
competent authority for the place of decease or the place of burial in the cases of corpses
exhumed.

It is recommended that the laissez-passer should be made out, not only in the language of the
country issuing it, but also in at least one of the languages most frequently used in international
relations.

ARTICLE 2

Neither the country of destination nor the countries of transit shall require, over and above such
papers as are required under international conventions for the purpose of transports in general,
any document other than the laissez-passer provided for in the preceding Article. The said
laissez-passer shall not be issued by the responsible authority, save on presentation of:

(1) A certified true copy of the death certificate;

(2) Official certificates to the effect that conveyance of the corpse is not open to objection from
the point of view of health or from the medico-legal point of view, and that the corpse has
been placed in a coffin in accordance with the regulations laid down in the present
Arrangement.
 Appendix A
Page 2

ARTICLE 3

Corpses must be placed in a metal coffin, the bottom of which has been covered with a layer of
approximately 5 cm. of absorbent matter such as peat, sawdust, powdered charcoal or the like
with the addition of an antiseptic substance. Where the cause of decease was a contagious
disease, the corpse itself shall be wrapped in a shroud soaked in an antiseptic solution.

The metal coffin must thereupon be hermetically closed (soldered) and fitted into a wooden
coffin in such a manner as to preclude movement. The wooden coffin shall be of a thickness of
not less than 3 cm.: its joints must be completely water-tight: and it must be closed by means of
screws not more than 20 cm. distant from one another, and strengthened by metal hoops.

ARTICLE 4

Conveyances of the corpses of persons deceased by reason of plague, cholera, small-pox or

typhus shall not be authorised as between the territories of the Contracting Parties until one year
at the earliest after the decease.

B. Special Regulations
ARTICLE 5

In the case of transport by rail, the following regulations shall apply over and above the general
regulations contained in Articles 1 to 4:

(a) Coffins must be conveyed in a closed wagon, save where they are handed over for
conveyance in a closed hearse, and remain in the same.
(b) Each country shall be responsible for fixing the time limit within which the body must be
removed on arrival. Where the consignor produces satisfactory proof that the corpse will
effectively be removed within such time-limit, the coffin need not be accompanied.
(c) No articles may be transported along with the coffin other than wreaths, bunches of flowers
and the like.
(d) Coffins must be despatched by the speediest route and, as far as possible, without trans-
shipment.

ARTICLE 6

In the case of motor transport, the following regulations shall apply over and above the general
regulations contained in Articles 1 to 4:

(a) Coffins must be conveyed preferably in a special hearse or, failing such, in an ordinary
closed van.
(b) No articles may be transported along with the coffin other than wreaths, bunches of flowers
and the like.
 Appendix A
Page 3

ARTICLE 7

In the case of transport by air, the following regulations shall apply over and above the general
regulations contained in Articles 1 to 4:
(a) Coffins must be conveyed either in an aircraft specially and solely used for the purpose or
in a special compartment solely reserved for the purpose in an ordinary aircraft.
(b) No articles may be transported along with the coffin in the same aircraft or in the same
compartment, other than wreaths, bunches of flowers and the like.

ARTICLE 8

In the case of transport by sea, the following regulations shall apply over and above the general
regulations contained in Articles 1 to 4:

(a) The wooden coffin containing the metal coffin in accordance with the provisions of Article
3 must itself be packed in an ordinary wooden case in such a manner as to preclude
movement.
(b) The said case, with its contents, must be so placed as to exclude any contact with foodstuffs
or articles for consumption and to preclude inconvenience to the passengers or crew of any
kind.

ARTICLE 9

Where decease takes place on board ship, the body must be preserved under the same
conditions as those provided for in Article 8 above. The documents and certificates required
under Article 2 shall be made out in accordance with the law of the country whose flag the
vessel flies, and transport shall take place in the same manner as in the case of a corpse shipped
on board.

Where the decease takes place less than 48 hours before the arrival of the vessel in the port at
which the burial is to take place, and the material required for the strict observance of the
provisions laid down in paragraph (a) of Article 8 is not available on board, the corpse, wrapped
in a shroud soaked in an antiseptic solution, may be placed in a coffin of solid wood of planks
of not less than 3 cm. thick with watertight joints, closed by screws. The bottom of the coffin
must previously have been covered with a layer of approximately 5 cm. of absorbent material
such as peat, sawdust, powdered charcoal or the like with the addition of an antiseptic
substance. The coffin must thereupon be fitted into a wooden case in such a manner as to
preclude movement. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply where death was due to
one of the diseases specified in Article 4.

This Article shall not apply to vessels whose voyages do not exceed 24 hours, if in the event of
a decease on board they hand over the corpse to the competent authorities as soon as they arrive
at the port at which it is to be handed over.
 Appendix A
Page 4

C. Final Provisions

ARTICLE 10

The provisions, both general and specific, of the present Arrangement embody the maximum
requirements (other than in the matter of charges) which may be stipulated in connection with
the acceptance of corpses coming from any one of the contracting countries. The said countries
remain free to grant greater facilities, either by means of bilateral arrangements or by decisions
in particular cases arrived at by common accord.

The present Arrangement shall not apply to the conveyance of corpses between frontier
districts.

ARTICLE 11

The present Arrangement applies to international transport of corpses immediately after decease
or exhumation. Nothing therein contained shall in any way affect the regulations in force in the
respective countries in respect of burial and exhumation.

The present Arrangement shall not apply to the transport of ashes.

D. Protocol Clauses

ARTICLE 12

The present Arrangement shall bear todays date, and may be signed within six months as from
that date.

ARTICLE 13

The present Arrangement shall be ratified, and the instruments of ratification shall be
transmitted to the German Government as soon as possible.

As soon as five ratifications have been deposited, the German Government shall draw up a
proces-verbal to that effect. It shall transmit copies of the proces-verbal to the Governments of
the High Contracting Parties and the Office International dHygiene publique. The present
Arrangement shall come into force on the 120th day after the date of the said proces-verbal.

Every subsequent deposit of ratifications shall be put on record by means of a proces-verbal

drawn up and communicated in accordance with the procedure laid down above. The present
Arrangement shall come into force in respect of each of the High Contracting Parties on the
120th day after the date of the proces-verbal putting on record the deposit of its ratifications.
 Appendix A
Page 5

ARTICLE 14

Countries not signatories to the present Arrangement may accede to the same at any time from
the date of the proces-verbal putting on record the deposit of the first five ratifications.

Each accession shall be made by means of notification through the diplomatic channel of the
German Government. The said Government shall deposit the act of accession in its archives; it
shall immediately notify the Governments of all the countries Parties to the Arrangement and
the Office International dHygiene publique notifying the date of deposit. Each accession shall
take effect on the 120th day from that date.

ARTICLE 15

Each of the High Contracting Parties may declare at the time of signature, ratification or
accession, that by its acceptance of the present Arrangement it does not intend to undertake any
obligation in respect of all or part of its colonies, protectorates, overseas territories or territories
placed under its suzerainty or mandate; in which case the present Arrangement shall not apply
to territories in respect of which such a declaration has been made.

Each of the High Contracting Parties may later notify the German Government that it intends to
make the present Arrangement applicable to all or part of its territories which were the subject
of the declaration provided for in the previous paragraph; in which case the Arrangement shall
apply to the territories named in the notification on the 120th day from the date of the deposit of
the same in the archives of the German Government.

Likewise, every High Contracting Party may at any time after the expiry of the time limit
specified in Article 16 declare that it intends that the application of the present Arrangement to
all or part of its colonies, protectorates, overseas territories or territories placed under its
suzerainty or mandate shall cease; in which case the Arrangement shall cease to apply to the
territories which are the subject of such declaration one year after the deposit of the same in the
archives of the German Government.

The German Government shall notify the Governments of all the countries Parties to the present
Arrangement and the Office International dHygiene publique of the notifications and
declarations made under the above provision, communicating to them the date of deposit of
such notifications or declarations in its archives.

ARTICLE 16

The Government of any country Party to the present Arrangement may, at any time after the
Arrangement has been in force in respect of the Government for five years, denounce it by
written notification communicated through the diplomatic channel to the German Government.
The German Government shall deposit the notice of denunciation in its archives. It shall
immediately notify the Governments of all the countries Parties to the Arrangement and the
Office International dHygiene publique, communicating to them the date of deposit. Every
denunciation shall take effect one year after that date.
 Appendix A
Page 6

ARTICLE 17

The signature of the present Arrangement may not be accompanied by any reservation which
has not been previously approved by those High Contracting Parties who are already
signatories. Likewise, ratifications or accessions accompanied by reservations which have not
been previously approved by all countries Parties to the Convention shall not be put on record.
In faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries, provided with full powers recognised in good
and due form, have signed the present Arrangement.

Done at Berlin on February 10th, 1937, in one single copy which shall remain deposited in the
archives of the German Government, and certified true copies of which shall be communicated
through the diplomatic channel to each of the High Contracting Parties.

Annex to Appendix A

Laissez-passer for a corpse

All legal regulations concerning the placing in the coffin having been observed, the corpse of
....................................................................................................................................................
(name, first name and profession of the deceased; in the case of children, profession of father
and mother) deceased on .................................. at ............................................................,
by reason of ...............................................................................................................................
(cause of decease), at the age of ................................................................................................
years (exact date of birth if possible), is to be conveyed ...........................................................
.................................................................................................................. (means of transport),
from ........................................................................................................... (place of departure)
via ................................................................................................................................. (route),
to ............................................................................................................. (place of destination)

The transport of this corpse having been duly authorized, all and sundry authorities over
whose territory the corpse is to be conveyed are requested to let it pass without let or
hindrance.
 Appendix B

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

AGREEMENT ON THE TRANSFER OF CORPSES

Signed at Strasbourg, October 26th, 1973

The member State of the Council of Europe, signatory hereto,

Considering that there is an increasing need to simplify formalities relating to the international
transfer of corpses,

Bearing in mind that the transfer of corpses does not create a risk to health even if death was
due to a communicable disease provided that appropriate measures are taken, in particular
with regard to the imperviousness of the coffin,

Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1

1) The Contracting Parties shall apply, as between themselves, the provisions of this
Agreement.

2) For the purpose of this Agreement, transfer of corpses is understood to be the

international transport of human remains from the State of departure to the State of
destination; the State of departure is that in which the transfer began; in the case of
exhumed remains, it is that in which burial had taken place; the State of destination is
that in which the corpse is to be buried or cremated after the transport.

3) This Agreement shall not apply to the international transport of ashes.

ARTICLE 2

1) The provisions of this Agreement embody the maximum requirements which may be
stipulated in connection with the despatch of corpses from, their transit through, or their
admission to the territory of a Contracting Party.

2) The Contracting Parties remain free to grant greater facilities either by means of bilateral
agreements or by decisions arrived at by common accord in special cases and in particular
in the case of transfer between frontier regions.

For such agreements or decisions to be applicable in any given case, the consent of all the
States involved must be obtained.
 Appendix B
Page 2

ARTICLE 3

1) Any corpse shall, during the transfer, be accompanied by a special document (laissez-
passer for a corpse) issued by the competent authority for the State of departure.

2) The laissez-passer shall include at least the information set out in the model annexed to
the present Agreement; it shall be made out in the official language or one of the official
languages of the State in which it was issued and in one of the official languages of the
Council of Europe.

ARTICLE 4

With the exception of the documents required under international conventions and agreements
relating to transport in general, or future conventions or arrangements on the transfer of
corpses, neither the State of destination not the transit State shall require any documents other
than the laissez-passer for a corpse.

ARTICLE 5

The laissez-passer is issued by the competent authority referred to in Article 8 of this

Agreement, after it has ascertained that:
(a) all the medical, health, administrative and legal requirements of the regulations in force in
the State of departure relating to the transfer of corpses and, where appropriate, burial and
exhumation have been complied with;
(b) the remains have been placed in a coffin which complies with the requirements laid down
in Articles 6 and 7 of this Agreement;
(c) the coffin only contains the remains of the person named in the laissez-passer and such
personal effects as are to be buried with the corpse.

ARTICLE 6

1) The coffin must be impervious; the inside must contain absorbent material. If the
competent authority of the State of departure consider it necessary the coffin must be
provided with a purifying device to balance the internal and external pressures. It may
consist of:
(i) either an outer coffin in wood with sides at least 20 mm. thick and an inner coffin of
zinc carefully soldered or of any other material which is self destroying;
(ii) or a single coffin in wood with sides at least 30 mm. thick lined with a sheet of zinc
or of any other material which is self destroying.
 Appendix B
Page 3

2) If the cause of death is a contagious disease, the body itself shall be wrapped in a shroud
impregnated with an antiseptic solution.

3) Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article the coffin, if it is
to be transferred by air, shall be provided with a purifying device or, failing this, present
such guarantees of resistance as are recognised to be adequate by the competent authority
of the State of departure.

ARTICLE 7

If the coffin is to be transported like an ordinary consignment, it shall be packaged so that it

no longer resembles a coffin, and it shall be indicated that it be handled with care.

ARTICLE 8

Each Contracting Party shall communicate to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
the designation of the competent authority referred to in Article 13, paragraph 1, Article 5 and
Article 6, paragraphs 1 and 3 of this Agreement.

ARTICLE 9

If a transfer involves a third State which is Party to the Berlin Arrangement concerning the
conveyance of corpses of 10 February 1937, any Contracting State to this Agreement may
require another Contracting State to take such measures as are necessary for the former
Contracting State to fulfil its obligations under the Berlin Arrangement.

ARTICLE 10

1) This Agreement shall be open to signature by the member States of the Council of
Europe, who may become parties to it either by:

(a) Signature to it without reservation in respect of ratification or acceptance, or

(b) Signature with reservation in respect of ratification or acceptance, followed by
ratification or acceptance.

2) Instruments of ratification or acceptance shall be deposited with the Secretary General of

the Council of Europe.
 Appendix B
Page 4

ARTICLE 11

1) This Agreement shall enter into force one month after the date on which three member
States of the Council shall have become Parties to the Agreement, in accordance with the
provisions of Article 10.

2) As regards any member State who shall subsequently sign the Agreement without
reservation in respect of ratification or acceptance or who shall ratify or accept it, the
Agreement shall enter into force one month after the date of such signature or after the
date of deposit of the instrument of ratification or acceptance.

ARTICLE 12

1) After the entry into force of this Agreement, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of
Europe may invite any non-member State to accede thereto.

2) Such accession shall be effected by depositing with the Secretary General of the Council
of Europe an instrument of accession which shall take effect one month after the date of
its deposit.

ARTICLE 13

1) Any Contracting Party may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of
ratification, acceptance or accession, specify the territory or territories to which this
Agreement shall apply.

2) Any Contracting Party may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or
accession or at any later date, by declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the
Council of Europe, extend this Agreement to any other territory or territories specified in
the declaration and for whose international relations it is responsible or on whose behalf it
is authorised to give undertakings.

3) Any declaration made in pursuance of the preceding paragraph may, in respect of any
territory mentioned in such declaration, be withdrawn according to the procedure laid
down in article 14 of this Agreement.

ARTICLE 14

1) This Agreement shall remain in force indefinitely.

2) Any Contracting Party may, insofar as it is concerned denounce this Agreement by means
of a notification a addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

3) Such denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the Secretary
General of such notification.
 Appendix B
Page 5

ARTICLE 15

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall notify the member States of the Council
and any State which has acceded to this Agreement of:
(a) any signature without reservation in respect of ratification or acceptance;
(b) any signature with reservation in respect of ratification or acceptance;
(c) the deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession;
(d) any date of entry into force of this Agreement, in accordance with Article 11 thereof;
(e) any declaration received in pursuance of the provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 of
Article 13
(f) any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 14 and the date on
which the denunciation takes effect;
(g) any communications made to him under Article 8

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this
Agreement.

Done at Strasbourg, this 26th day of October 1973, in the English and French languages, both
texts being equally authoritative, in a single copy which shall remain deposited in the archives
of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall transmit
certified copies to each of the signatory and acceding States.
 Appendix B
Page 6

Annex to Appendix B
Laissez-passer for a corpse

This laissez-passer is issued in accordance with the Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses, in
particular Articles 3 and 5 (1).
Authority is hereby given for the removal of the body of:
Name and first name of the deceased ........................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................
died on .......................................................... at .........................................................................
State cause of death (if possible) (2) and (3) .............................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................
at the age of ............................................................. years ........................................................
Date and place of birth (if possible) ..........................................................................................
The body is to be conveyed .......................................................................................................
................................................................................................................... (means of transport)
from ........................................................................................................... (place of departure)
via .................................................................................................................................. (route)
to ........................................................................................................................... (destination)

The transport of this corpse having been duly authorised, all and sundry authorities of the
States over whose territory the corpse is to be conveyed are requested to let it pass without let
or hindrance.

Done at ........................................................................ on ........................................................

Signature of the competent authority Official stamp of the competent authority

(1) The text of Articles 3 and 5 of the Agreement is to appear on the reverse side of the
laissez-passer

(2) The cause of death should be stated in English or French or in the numerical WHO code
of the international classification of diseases.

(3) If cause of death is not stated for reasons of professional secrecy then a certificate
indicating the cause of death should be placed in a sealed envelope accompanying the
corpse during transport and be presented to the competent authority in the State of
destination. The sealed envelope, which shall bear some external indication for
identification purposes, shall be securely attached to the laissez-passer.

Alternatively, an indication should be made on the laissez-passer as to whether the person

died of natural causes and of a non-contagious disease.

If this is not the case, the circumstances of death or the nature of the contagious disease
should be indicated.
 Appendix C

PAN AMERICAN WORLD HEALTH

HEALTH ORGANISATION ORGANISATION

XVII PAN AMERICAN SANITARY CONFERENCE

XVIII REGIONAL COMMITTEE MEETING

RESOLUTION XXIX

Adopted in Washington, October 7th, 1966

INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION OF HUMAN REMAINS

THE XVII PAN AMERICAN SANITARY CONFERENCE....

Resolves

1) To approve and transmit to the Governments of the Organization the following

Declaration and Regulations concerning the International Transportation of Human
Remains:

DECLARATION

The greater ease of communications today and the considerable increase in tourism make the
international transportation of human remains a matter of practical interest that justifies the
establishment of uniform standards.

The international transportation of human remains should be simplified so as not to increase

the problems of the families with complicated and unnecessary procedures that appear to
overlook the moral and social considerations involved in such cases.

It is possible to simplify the administrative procedures involved in obtaining authorization for

the international transportation of human remains if it is borne in mind that, contrary to a deep
rooted opinion, a corpse does not constitute a health risk even when death was due to a
quarantinable or communicable disease, since its power to infect disappears when it is suitably
embalmed.

Embalming might become the general practice in the countries of the Americas since it is the
most appropriate method of preserving human remains; however, this in no way implies that
other, simpler, and equally effective methods, cannot also be used.
 Appendix C
Page 2

DEFINITIONS

Article 1. International transportation of human remains is understood to be the shipment of

the body from the country where the death occurred to the country of its final destination after
either death or disinterment.

Article 2. The transportation of bodies between frontier districts within 48 hours after death
shall not be subject to these standards.

Article 3. For the purpose of these standards an impervious coffin shall be any container or
box, of whatever material, which can be hermetically sealed and so maintained by plastic or
rubber gasket or by metal or similar material which has been soldered or welded. The body
may also be encased in a plastic container which has been sealed by heat or by adhesive
materials prior to being placed in a non-impervious coffin, and which, for the purpose of these
standards, will be considered the same as an impervious coffin.

DOCUMENTATION

Article 4. For international transportation of human remains, the following documents shall
be required:

(a) An official certificate of cause of death issued by the local registrar of death, or similar
authority;

(b) A statement by the person authorized to prepare the remains, certified by an appropriate
authority, indicating the manner and method in which the body was prepared and
indicating that the coffin contains only the body in question and necessary clothing and
packing;

(c) A transit permit stating the surname, first name and age of the deceased person, issued by
the competent authority for the place of death, or the place of burial in the case of
exhumed human remains, and;

(d) Copies of the documentation required under subparagraphs a, b, and c shall accompany
the shipment of remains. The outside of the coffin should bear an immovable plaque or
other appropriate marking, in a conspicuous place, indicating name, age and place of final
destination of the body.

HEALTH MEASURES

Article 5. The human remains shall be subject to the following measures:

(a) Thorough washing with an effective disinfectant; disinfection of all orifices; packing of
all orifices with cotton saturated with an effective disinfectant; wrapping in a sheet
saturated with an effective disinfectant; and placing in an impervious coffin; or,
 Appendix C
Page 3

(b) Proper embalming (arterial and cavity) and placement in an impervious coffin; or,

(c) Proper embalming (arterial and cavity) and encasement in a plastic container which has
been sealed by heat or by adhesive materials prior to placement in a non-impervious
coffin.

SHIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

Article 6. Human remains prepared for international shipment must be placed in an

impervious coffin. Where the cause of death was a quarantinable disease, as defined in the
International Sanitary Regulations, the human remains must be embalmed (arterial and cavity)
and placed in an impervious coffin.

The impervious coffin must thereupon be hermetically sealed and may be shipped without any
other covering (except in the case of shipment by sea), or for protective purposes may be fitted
in a wooden box, or one made of other material, so as to prevent movement; or may be
wrapped in a specially designed fabric.

TRANSPORTATION BY LAND, AIR OR SEA

Article 7. The following regulations shall apply to the transportation by rail:

(a) The impervious coffin may be transported in the baggage compartment of a passenger car.

(b) Each country shall be responsible for fixing the time limit within which the body must be
removed at its final destination.

In case of transportation by road the impervious coffin must be conveyed preferably in a

closed hearse or failing such, in an ordinary closed van (truck) or automobile, placed in such a
way as to prevent movement.

The impervious coffin may be conveyed also in the baggage compartment of a passenger
aircraft or in a cargo aircraft and may be equipped with a vent or safety valve provided that
precautions are taken to prevent the escape of liquids or nauseous gases.

In case of transportation by sea the impervious coffin, in order to preclude movement, must be
packed in an ordinary wooden case, or one made of other material, or may be placed in
specially designed fabric container.

COMMON PROVISION

Article 8. Regardless of the mode of transportation, wreaths, flowers and other similar
funeral articles may be sent with the coffin only when it is permitted by the provisions in force
in the country to which it is being sent.
 Appendix C
Page 4

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 9. The above formalities may be reduced either through bilateral arrangements or by
joint decision in particular cases.

Article 10. The transportation of remains exhumed after the period established in the local
provisions in force have elapsed, and the transportation of ashes, shall not be subject to health
or other special measures.

2) To recommend to the Governments that they apply the above mentioned regulations in
the way they deem most appropriate.

3) To invite the Governments to inform the Bureau of the steps taken to implement the
above mentioned regulations so that he may report them to the other Governments and to
the Governing Bodies of the Organization.

4) To urge the Director that he endeavour to ensure in the way he deems the most
appropriate that the Governments of the Organization take appropriate measures to
implement in their territories the regulations on International Transportation of Human
Remains mentioned in the first operative paragraph of this resolution.

5) To recommend to the Director that he transmit this resolution to the Director-General of

the World Health Organization.
 Appendix D

INTERPOL RESOLUTION

DISASTER VICTIM IDENTIFICATION

BEARING IN MIND, firstly, that a Working Party was set up to draft a Disaster
Victim Identification (DVI) Form (49th General Assembly session, Manila, 1980) and
secondly that, in view of the increasing importance of the subject, a Sub-Committee
composed of police officers, forensic pathologists and forensic odontologists was established
in 1986;

NOTING THAT the said Sub-Committee has now finalised a modified and
computerised version of the DVI Form and a modified version of its associated DVI Guide
(previously DVI Manual), which should prove entirely satisfactory and which have been
adopted by the Working Party, now being recognised as the Interpol Standing Committee on
DVI;

RECOGNISING the basic human right of individuals to be properly identified after

death and that the identification of disaster victims continues to be of increasing international
importance with regard to police investigations, in addition to other legal, religious and
cultural requirements;

The ICPO-Interpol General Assembly, meeting in Antalya from 23rd October 1996 to
29th October 1996, at its 65th session:

ADOPTS the said Form and its associated Guide;

RECOMMENDS THAT all the Organisations member countries use the Disaster
Victim Identification Form in all appropriate circumstances including cases in which there is
only one victim to be identified;

AUTHORISES the Secretary General to adapt the DVI Form and the associated Guide
whenever appropriate, pursuant to technical developments and/or other professional needs in
the field;

DECIDES THAT the Working Party on DVI, now recognised as, and in the future to
be named The Interpol Standing Committee on Disaster Victim Identification, shall;

(a) Comprise representative police officers, forensic pathologists and forensic

odontologists, and may, from time to time co-opt specialists from other
organisations as appropriate (e.g. U.N. Department of Humanitarian Affairs,
airline operators, forensic science services).

(b) Consider relevant previous incidents, identifying technical developments and

experience from which improvements to procedures and standards in DVI
matters, including documentation, technology, computerisation, education and
training may be made.
 Appendix D

(c) Ensure that the DVI Forms and Guide to DVI Procedures are maintained so as to
provide the best possible practical assistance and advice to member countries.

(d) Make recommendations to enhance co-operation, liaison, information exchange

and practical assistance between member countries and with other relevant
national and international agencies and organisations when planning for, or
responding to, disasters.

(e) Meet regularly to achieve these aims and disseminate advice and
recommendations on good practice promptly to member countries.

RECOMMENDS that member countries;

(a) Establish a Disaster Victim Identification Team comprising suitable police

officers, forensic pathologists and forensic odontologists, or, as a minimum,
appoint an officer responsible for Disaster Victim Identification matters, such
teams or officers being the central contact point in their own countries when their
citizens are involved in a disaster, or when otherwise requested to assist another
member country.

(b) Regularly advise each other and the General Secretariat of DVI experiences and
lesson learnt from incidents.

(c) When appropriate seek the assistance, as participants or observers, of DVI

Liaison Officers and/or Teams from countries whose citizens are victims of the
disaster.

(d) Upon request from a member country, provide such DVI assistance as may be
necessary, to that member country.

(e) Provide the General Secretariat with relevant details of DVI Teams established in
their country.

(f) Co-operate closely so that decisions about the admission of foreign DVI
Teams/Officers can be taken rapidly.

REQUEST the Secretary General to:

(a) Publish and make available to member countries the DVI Form and the
associated Guide to DVI procedures in the established Interpol languages.

(b) Maintain and circulate a list of DVI Teams/Officers in member countries.

(c) Periodically publish information on disasters, in particular, identification matters.

 Appendix D

(d) Bring to the attention of the Standing Committee any information supplied by
member countries.

(e) Maintain a list of DVI training courses in different countries and the potential for
participation by foreign trainees.

ABROGATES the following resolutions:

(a) AN/37/RES/4 (1968) Disaster Victim Identification Form

(b) AGN/49/RES/2 (1980) Identification of Disaster Victims
(c) AGN/50/RES/3 (1981) Victim Identification Form
(d) AGN/51/RES/7 (1982) International Assistance in the Identification of
Disaster Victims
(e) AGN/55/RES/14 (1986) Identification of Disaster Victims
(f) AGN/58/RES/10 (1989) Disaster Victim Identification Form.

Notes: