Batang Kali landslide: Forensic unit using paternity DNA test to identify victims

SUNGAI BULOH: The identification of bodies in the Batang Kali landslide is being assisted by the Chemistry Department's DNA Forensics Unit to reduce waiting time for the victims' family members.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (Dec 18), the department said the unit was playing an important role in the aftermath of the disaster by using Paternity DNA Analysis to speed up the identification of remains.

The test is made through comparison of the victims' DNA with samples from relatives.

"The cases for which samples received by the forensic officers on Saturday (Dec 17) morning from the police were resolved on the same day.

"The officers of are working non-stop to ensure that bodies of the landslide victims could be identified as soon as possible so that their next of kin may make funeral arrangements without further delay," the department said in the post.

As of noon Sunday, 18 bodies have been claimed from Hospital Sungai Buloh mortuary.

Six more are awaiting identification or claiming by family members.

The fatal landslide which occurred at Father's Organic Farm at Batang Kali in the wee hours of Friday (Dec 16) has claimed 24 lives so far.

Sixty-one people survived the tragedy while nine more are still missing.