The Contribution of Forensic Odontology in the Highland Towers Condominium Disaster

Alhabshi Sf,Nambiar P

doi:10.22452/adum.vol2no1.6

Abstract

An apartment complex collapsed in Malaysia killing48 people trapped inside.The dental disaster victim identification team comprising of officers from the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, Armed Forces and the Dental Faculty, University of Malayaplayeda very active role in the identification process. Most of the bodies were badly decomposed and some grossly disfigured. Problems were encountered due to inadequate facilities and equipments at the mortuary.Difficultieswerealsoencounteredduring the procurement and deciphering of information from dental records. Suggestions have been made to improve facilities, expertise and also to create awareness amongst dentists to ensure proper recording of their patients' dental status.

Highlights

In recent years there were numerous disasters due to shipping agency to complement the mortuary space.natural causes such as earthq~akes, cyclones, floods, Bodies were recovered at different stages of fires and others due to vehicular accidents and explosives dt;Composition - some badly mutilated and fragmented at different parts of the world
1993a different kind of disaster occurred at Ulu Kelang, pathologist of the hospital
Autho~ties have great diffficulty in determining the team comprised of ten officers. They were from the actual cause for the crash. Others concede that it was Dental Department of Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, due to land slides occuring in the n~ighboring area the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Dental Faculty, causing water to seep and weaken the foundation

Summary

Introduction

Natural causes such as earthq~akes, cyclones, floods, Bodies were recovered at different stages of fires and others due to vehicular accidents and explosives dt;Composition - some badly mutilated and fragmented at different parts of the world Many of these disasters while others were skeletonised. 1993a different kind of disaster occurred at Ulu Kelang, pathologist of the hospital. The dental DVI autho~ties have great diffficulty in determining the team comprised of ten officers. They were from the actual cause for the crash.

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion