George building collapse: Forensic pathologists struggling to identify retrieved bodies

WARNING: The following story contains some graphic details

GEORGE - Forensic pathologists in George are struggling to identify the bodies retrieved from the rubble due to severe decomposition.  

Forensic teams are now turning to DNA analysis and fingerprints among other mechanisms to expedite the identification of the deceased.

Twenty-six construction workers are still unaccounted under the debris.

Twenty-six of their colleagues have died.

It’s been exactly a week since the partially completed apartment complex folded in the George CBD.

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Officials say 81 workers were on the site when the block imploded shortly after they returned from a lunch break. 

Frustration and despair are growing among the families still looking for answers. 

On-site forensic teams have set up a temporary workstation to expedite their operations.

But the Western Cape’s forensics services’ Floyd Herwels says teams have hit a snag.

“The first bodies were okay, some were visually identifiable. Bodies are now in a state of decomposition, we have to now go over to scientific methods such as fingerprints and DNA matching.”  

Herwels says a profile is created for each victim to help with the identification process…

"Each body recovered, we’re compiling a photo album, we take a photo on scene and show it to a family member. If the person is not visually identifiable, we’ll take other photos such as clothes, tattoos or a scar.”

In the meantime, officials are appealing to families who have lost contact with their loved ones to come to the George Civic Centre on York Street as they detailed information, to ensure records are documented accurately.