Creating certainty This is how the experts identify the burn victims

Following the disaster in Crans-Montana VS, the difficult task of identifying the injured and deceased victims is underway. Swiss forensic experts are relying on the tried and tested DVI method. DNA, implants and dental data are helping.

The fire accident in Crans-Montana VS has caused deep concern. While the fire department and police are investigating the cause of the fire, there is another job going on in the background that is even more important for relatives: identifying the victims.

This is particularly difficult in the case of fires - and follows clearly regulated medical and forensic procedures in Switzerland. blue News has investigated what this procedure looks like. The Valais cantonal police, who are currently working on the identification of the Crans-Montana victims, have not yet provided any information on the specific procedure.

Normally, identification in Swiss hospitals begins with admission. Every patient is given a wristband with their name and date of birth. Identity is actively checked before medication, operations or examinations - a central component of patient safety, as defined by the University Hospital Zurich and the Swiss Patient Safety Foundation, for example.

If a burn victim is able to speak, they are asked directly for their identity. If the person is unconscious or unrecognizable due to injuries, they are first given a provisional emergency identity. At the same time, the police and authorities can initiate a formal identification process. Depending on the person's condition, fingerprints, DNA samples or medical evidence such as implants may be used. According to the Swiss Society of Forensic Medicine (SGRM), this is common practice, especially in cases of severe burns where the face or fingers are badly damaged.

In Switzerland, the internationally recognized DVI procedure (Disaster Victim Identification) is used for fatalities. Since 2001, Switzerland has had a national DVI team that is deployed in the event of major incidents or fire disasters. This team consists of specialists from the police, forensic medicine and dentistry who identify victims of major disasters in accordance with international standards.

The principle is simple but complex: Data on missing persons is compared with data on the deceased. Forensic pathologists systematically examine the victims. Personal effects such as jewelry or clothing can provide clues, but are not considered evidence. Fingerprints are often no longer usable in the case of fire victims.

Other features are therefore particularly important. Teeth and dentures often survive fire and can be compared with dentists' records. Medical implants such as hip prostheses or pacemakers can also be clearly identified.

DNA analysis also plays a key role. The Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Zurich confirms that DNA is often the decisive factor when other means of identification are lacking. Fedpol states that DNA profiles can also be used outside of criminal proceedings to identify unknown or deceased persons.

In the case of Crans-Montana, lists have already been drawn up: Families and countries have contacted the Swiss authorities to find missing persons who were in Crans-Montana at the time of the fire. Now the assignment begins.

The forensic, medical and official experts are now comparing the data from the countries and families with that of the injured persons in the hospitals. According to the press conference on January 2, 113 of 119 injured people have already been identified.

Fatalities were also identified on Saturday. Eight deceased persons have been identified and their bodies handed over to their families, the canton of Valais announced.