| Identifying victims of attacks could take a year |
New York officials say it may take up to a year to identify the victims of the terror attacks on the World Trade Centre.
Body parts from victims of the terrorist strike on the World Trade Centre are being found at a rate of 400 a day.
Rescue crews have recovered 218 bodies and identified 152 victims.
The remaining corpses, along with hundreds of bone and tissue fragments, are being sampled for DNA.
Robert Shaler, director of forensic biology for the city medical examiner, says his office must wait for special software from the FBI before beginning the DNA tests on thousands of samples. Pathologists are already collecting fingerprints, X-rays and dental information from the dead.
The DNA software is expected over the next week, but it could be longer before matching begins. The city wants to wait until it has a substantial number of DNA samples.
Shaler expects the daily number arriving at the morgue will double or triple as the focus shifts from rescue to recovery.
Authorities want to analyse every recovered body part. This is done by matching the remains against samples taken from personal items belonging to the missing, such as toothbrushes or hairbrushes, which may have traces of DNA left on them. If those items are not available, close relatives are asked to give their own genetic samples. The latter can be matched to unidentified remains using a method similar to a DNA paternity test.
The process could take a year or more, says Mitch Holland, vice president of Bode Technology Group, a genetic analysis laboratory. He is questioning the city's intention to test every scrap of biological material.
"To get down and test every single piece will do nothing but bog down the entire system," Holland explains. "Our recommendation is that you start with anatomically recognizable material, with the goal to identifying everybody who is missing."
Story filed: 09:25 Wednesday 19th September 2001
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