Forensic experts identify a body on the basis of dental records, external or internal deformities if any, bones, hair, joints, skin and any unique body marks, and with the help of visual identification.
Of the total number of bodies identified at TU Teaching Hospital, 66 were visually identified and handed over to the respective families. "But bodies lacking visual identification marks were identifiedd with the help of fingerprints," said SP Prakash Adhikari of Metropolitan Police Crime Division, who heads the identification of bodies recovered after the earthquake.
Authorities identifying the bodies brought to TUTH were left clueless for many days about the body of a foreign national that was pulled out from the debris in Langtang village, which was swept by landslide following the earthquake, leaving over 60 dead and dozens still missing.
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Security personnel from the UK visited the hospital mortuary and helped confirm the identify of the body as that of 23-year-old Matthew Julius Carapiet, a student from Bearsted in England, who had gone missing in Langtang. "As they could not identify the body, we asked them to bring chance fingerprints for matching with fingerprints from the body," SP Adhikari added.
The UK officials went back to the home of the missing and gathered chance prints from a glass cup that was left in his room. "After we matched the chance prints with the body fingerprints, we confirmed the identify of the body and handed it over to the authorities concerned on 11th May," he said.
Similarly, the body of Jaya Lal Raut of Bara was identified with the help of fingerprints from a property-related document (tamsuk) after fingerprints failed to match the prints in the citizenship card. The officials said that many finger prints in citizenship cards did not match the fingerprints of the bodies and the reason was negligence.
The body of Shyam Kumar Thapa of Baglung and that of Roser Paul Pareta of Spain were also identified with the help of fingerprints.
"Fingerprints have become the most used forensic tool during disasters. So we urge everyone not to be careless when it comes to using fingerprints for any purpose," the officials added. They said fingerprints had led them to numerous successful identifications.
The authorities are yet to identify 18 bodies and 10 separate body parts at the mortuary at TUTH, including 14 male bodies, 3 female (one foreigner) and a baby girl. Bodies with no fingerprints will have to be put through DNA tests.
Note: Images of fingerprint have been removed upon the request of the concerned family.
