Mass Disasters Investigations and Recovery

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A scene of mass fatality such as a train collision, airplane crash or natural disaster can present a number of difficulties due to the fact that debris and evidence may be distributed over a large area.

The documentation of scattered remains can often lead to inaccuracies due to the scale and complexity of a scene, often aggravated by the pressures of identifying victims as quickly as possible, determining the cause of the crash and clearing up the scene in order to minimise media intrusion (Dirkmaat et al 2001).

Discovering the cause of the crash and victim identification can depend on good documentation so it is important that exacting methods are used for evidence collection.  Many of these methods are already present in forensic archaeology so it is wise to make use of such expertise (Dirkmaat et al 2001).

During a mass disaster the initial response will be from emergency services. As they will typically be first on scene, their objective is to preserve life and avoid further injuries or deaths.  These services will normally come from the local area and depending on the nature and size of the incident, further assistance may be called in from neighbouring counties/states, national or even international support.

International assistance is often necessary when mass disasters occur in poorer countries. There are a number of supporting agencies that can assist in dealing with an incident and include non profit organisations such as the Red Cross, coastguard, military and private organisations such Kenyon International.

Health and safety is an important consideration for all personnel when dealing with human remains during mass disasters.  The Health and Safety Executive has issued guidelines for people who deal with exhumations, police and archaeological researchers.

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The role of forensic archaeologists at a scene of mass fatality is growing due to the need for thorough and efficient search and recovery of evidence.

The roles of forensic archaeologists and forensic anthropologists overlap considerably at a scene of mass disaster and must work together as remains can often be highly fragmented and dispersed over a large area.

The main role of a forensic archaeologist is to define the site, fully documented context, careful mapping and proper search and recovery of evidence. The chain of custody must be maintained at all times for all recovered material (Hunter and Cox, 2005; Gould, 2005).

Preservation of life is the first priority at any major incident and once this has taken place, systematic analysis of the crash site is necessary in order to maximise the recovery of remains.

Forensic archaeologists will employ archaeological principles such as grid searching and excavation techniques in order to find evidence (Dirkmaat and Hefner, 2001).

Dirkmaat and Hefner (2001) have shown that the location of evidence can be increased by using proper search techniques. Forensic archaeologists may assist with reconstruction of bodies for identification although this will normally be carried out by the forensic anthropologist and pathologist at the mortuary who will construct a biological profile of the deceased.

Stratigraphic excavation methods can be employed by the forensic archaeologist.  This technique is not limited to the ground but can be applied to a crash site by going through the layers of wreckage from the top down.  The professional forensic archaeologist is trained to look at a scene in this manner and has the expertise to see things that may be invisible to other personnel (Lyman, 2007; Hunter and Cox, 2005).

Processing of the scene should maximise the potential to identify the dead and determine a cause of the incident.  The scene should be processed until it is not practical to recover further evidence or the evidence will not aid further identification (Hunter and Cox, 2005).

The management of a major incident and coordination of rescue services is not a simple task, partly due to its unpredictability and partly due to the chaotic nature of a scene.  Careful emergency planning has now become an essential part of preparing for such events to ensure that lives are saved and bodies of the dead are treated with the utmost respect.

As Sutherland and Groombridge (2001) conclude, the process of identification in a mass fatality incident depends on comparing ante-mortem data of each missing person with post-mortem data of each body and is assured when all victims have been identified.