DVI Unit Ready To Conduct Identification Process For AirAsia Victims

Jakarta, Dec 31 (Antara) - The Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) unit of East Java Police is ready to conduct the identification process for the bodies of AirAsia flight QZ8501 victims recovered from Karimata Strait. Chairman of East Java DVI team Senior Commissioner Budiono remarked during a press conference at the Juanda Airport`s crisis center in Surabaya, East Java, on Wednesday, that they had gathered the antemortem data from the families since the aircraft was confirmed missing on Sunday (Dec. 28). "The families and relatives have come to the DVI post to hand over antemortem data, such as clothing, medical reports, photographs, and also the DNA samples," he revealed. Budiono stated that until today, 93 families have submitted the antemortem data and 30 among them have also given the DNA samples of their relatives. "We specifically requested the families to bring the DNA samples of the victims from the vertical lineage, which means if the victim is a child then we need his parents` DNA samples, and if the victim is a parent, so the sample must be from his/her biological children," he explained. Budiono noted that the presence of DNA samples will help to make the identification process more accurate. After the bodies have been recovered and moved to Surabaya, the identification process will soon be conducted at the Bhayangkara Police Hospital in Ahmad Yani Street, Surabaya. The police have prepared 150 coffers to keep the bodies and have instructed the forensic doctors to be on standby. Currently, 130 ambulances are on standby at the Juanda Airport to transport the bodies directly to the hospital after their arrival. The joint search team found six bodies in Karimata Strait, near Kalimantan Island, on Tuesday (Dec. 30) afternoon and recovered three of them. On Wednesday morning, they successfully recovered three more bodies from the sea. The search and recovery process is still being carried out by the Indonesian Marine`s Bung Tomo vessel.