Role of Forensic Anthropology in the Examination of the Daegu Subway Disaster (2003, Korea)

• NCJ Number: 226883
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 54 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 513-518
• Author(s): Dae-Kyoon Park M.D., Ph.D.; Kyung-Ho Park Ph.D.; Jeong-Sik Ko Ph.D.; Yi-Suk Kim M.D., Ph.D.; Nak-Eun Chung M.D., Ph.D.; Yong-Woo Ahn D.D.S., Ph.D.; Seung-Ho Han M.D., Ph.D.
• Date Published: May 2009
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Case Study
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper describes the role of the Korea Disaster Mortuary Operation Response Team (KDMORT) in identifying victims of the 2003 Daegu subway fire in Korea, specifically the critical role of forensic anthropologists in the identification of 136 victims with charred body parts and completely cremated bones.

Abstract

Because the fire in the subway train caused the train’s doors to malfunction and the passengers were unable to open the doors manually, the victims’ charred and fragmented bodies were initially encountered by the KDMORT where they died in the train, piled one on top of another within the narrow interior. The charred body parts and cremated bones maintained their three-dimensional structure because the train was stopped when the fire started. After the firefighters extinguished the fire, they attempted to recover the victims’ bodies, but quickly realized that recovery was impossible without help. The forensic anthropologist on the KDMORT was crucial in the appropriate recovery and accurate identification of the victims. Forensic anthropology consists of an integration of a number of medical and scientific disciplines such as human anatomy, paleontology, archeology, and anthropology. Without the knowledge and skill of the forensic anthropologist in designing and supervising the recovery methodology, most of the victims’ cremated bones, which did not yield DNA, would have been unassociated. Recovery of skeletons requires skill and an understanding that once the remains are disturbed or removed from their original locations and positioning, they can never be reassembled. Forensic anthropological examination must be performed from the beginning of the recovery process when bodies are commingled and cremated in fires that involve mass casualties. This paper describes in detail the recovery of victim parts, the reassembly of each individual, and the linking of unassociated fragments based on the results of DNA analysis and the anatomical continuity. 7 figures, 1 table, and 16 references