Medical workers in Mianzhu's Hanwang Township have begun to take DNA samples of quake victims.

Medical workers in Mianzhu's Hanwang Township have begun to take DNA samples of quake victims.

A team of 53 forensic doctors and 19 audiovisual experts from the relevant provincial departments in Sichuan is in charge of identifying the quake victims.

Zhang Jialing, Forensic section chief of Chengdu People's Procuratorate, said, "We're focusing on bodies that are unclaimed or disfigured beyond recognition. We're keeping files of DNA samples of these bodies for further identification."

The procedure follows closely the guideline set out by the Ministry of Public Security. It includes disinfecting, numbering, photographing, sampling, and registering the bodies.

Zhang Jialing said, "As the bodies are in a high state of decomposition, and the site is very messy, we have to make great haste to minimize the health danger. It takes us 20 minutes at most for a single procedure."

So far, 35 bodies in Mianzhu have been processed. DNA samplings in other quake-stricken areas are also underway.

(CCTV May 22, 2008)