DVI relies on bone samples to identify victims of ALS bus accident

ANTARA FOTO/Rio Roma Dhoni/Lmo/kye

PALEMBANG - The Pusdokkes Polri Disaster Victim Identification team relies on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) examiners from bone samples that are still reddish to identify the 17 bodies of victims of the ALS bus collision with a fuel tanker truck in North Musi Rawas Regency (Muratara), South Sumatra.

Head of the DVI Division of the National Police, Kombes Wahyu Hidayati, said that the majority of the samples were taken from the bone because the victim's soft tissue was not intact due to the heat of the fire when the accident occurred.

"In the current condition, we take the bones. We also choose the bones that are still red, which are approximately still have DNA. Because if the bones are already charcoal, it can't be," he said as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, May 9.

Wahyumen explained that the process of identifying the victims through physical characteristics and personal property had obstacles because most of the victim's belongings were separated from the body during the collision incident that caused the ALSterbus to burn.

The identification method through dental data, which is generally the main comparison, is also difficult to do because the victim's teeth are fragile and destroyed due to high heat.

The DVI team previously hoped that identification could be carried out through dental examination as in a number of previous fire cases.

However, the magnitude of the fire in the bus accident with the fuel tanker truck caused most of the victim's bones, including teeth, to be severely damaged.

"Because the fire was so big that most of the bones, including the teeth, were also brittle," he explained.

In addition, the DNA examination process is estimated to take at least five days to obtain an accurate DNA profile.

Until now, the DVI team has received 15 samples from the victims' families, which are expected to help reveal the identities of the 16 bodies of ALS bus accident victims, including one child victim.

"His DNA is indeed a bit long. At most it's five days. We ask for prayers so that all DNA profiles can appear," said Wahyu.