Optimized mass fatalities victim identification: an airplane crash as a test case

Abstract

Efficient corpse tissue preservation, automated DNA extraction, sensitive DNA quantification and expert analysis software makes possible to design highly efficient workflows that speed up the mass disaster victim identification process from highly fragmented human bodies. Herein we describe the workflow employed in the reconstruction of the identity of 22 victims fragmented in 418 remains that emerged from the airplane crash occurred on May 18th 2011 in the province of Rio Negro, Argentina. Fatal victims identification was performed by comparison with first degree relatives by autosomal and Y STRs analysis. A SAAB plane carrying 19 passengers and three crew members (3 females and 19 males) exploded at high altitude over the ground level (approx. 2000 m). All bodies were severely fragmented and a high number of isolated cranial bones were found. Remains were collected at the disaster area and sent to Buenos Aires where samples were selected and preserved in 50 mL polypropylene tubes containing solid sodium chloride (table salt). DNA extractions from muscle and bone were performed using a semi-automated DNA purification system, quantification was carried out by Real Time PCR, STRs amplification using commercial kits and STR profile analysis with the help of an expert software. The implementation of this strategy allowed us to identify all the victims in one week. However, the complete task of identifying all remains recovered within the disaster area took over ten months due to the wide dispersion of fragments and the court's decision to identify each morphologically recognizable human tissue found within the disaster area.