Scanning, tagging of victims to be completed tomorrow

KHARKIV: The scanning and tagging of the remains of MH17 victims is expected to be completed tomorrow.
National Security Council (MKN) principal assistant secretary Lt-Kol Mohd Sakri Hussain said forensic experts from Malaysia, the Netherlands and Australia have screened the bodies in more than two refrigerated coaches yesterday.
There are four refrigerated coaches that carried 282 bodies of the MH17 victims from Donetsk, eastern Ukraine to Kharkiv for tagging before being flown out to Eindhoven, the Netherlands, he said.
Mohd Sakri said the remaining bodies are expected to be scanned and tagged by tomorrow, Bernama reported.
Yesterday, 56 bodies were flown to the Netherlands for disaster victim identification.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has collected 47 DNA samples from the next-of-kin of those on board MH17 to help identify the victims.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the DNA samples were taken from those the victims' parents or siblings.
It is learnt that the samples will be sent to Amsterdam tomorrow.
"Up until now, some 45 families have gone through the data collection process and DNA sampling, while two more are being processed," he said in a statement.
He also noted that since July 22, a forensic team comprising Health Ministry staff, the police and Chemistry Department has been collecting ante mortem data and gathering DNA samples from the next-of-kin.
The 16-member team, with the assistance of MAS, has been collecting the data locally as part of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process.
The team has been enquiring from family members about visible marks on the victims' bodies, like tattoos, and any personal accessories which could help in the identification process.
Subramaniam said as many as six health teams have been activated to be prepared to manage the bodies upon arrival in Malaysia.
Prior to this, a forensic team was sent to Kharkiv, Ukraine, to assist in the DVI there.