News / National
Ethanol tanker explosion victims' mass burial dramatically halted
03 Nov 2013 at 02:29hrs | Views
There was drama in Chipinge yesterday as the mass burial of 17 of the 24 Chisumbanje ethanol tanker explosion victims was dramatically halted.
Relatives of the deceased had initially demanded that the victims, burnt beyond recognition be given mass burials. They wanted the burials to be done quickly. But yesterday there was a dramatic U turn with the same relatives now demanding DNA tests to identify the charred bodies.
Chipinge District Administrator Mr Edgars Seenza confirmed the change of programme. Mr Seenza, who met the grieving family members, said a decision was taken for forensic tests to be conducted.
"At the moment, all mass burials have been suspended because, for now, we have relatives of the deceased calling for forensic tests to ascertain the identity of the bodies. Police are working flat out to ensure the identities of the 17 are established.
"However, we can confirm that eight bodies that were positively identified have been collected for burial," he told The Sunday Mail
The identified bodies were Darikai Muyambo, Blessing Nokutenda Magwagwa, Tracy Mtetwa, Beulah Mashapa, Charles Chandengerwa, Nyasha Nafelani, Winnie Muyambo, Prosper Chandengerwa, Ngarwo Jakopo, Venencia Dzapasi, Viola Dzapasi and Kudzai Chandengerwa.
The Muyambo family is believed to have been leading calls for the mass burials.
The remainder of the bodies was excluded as feuding erupted over the identification of the bodies.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiling would have helped identify the horribly burnt victims, but Zimbabwe does not have a DNA forensic laboratory even though the technological breakthrough was made in the mid-1980s.
DNA profiling (also called DNA testing, DNA typing, or genetic fingerprinting) is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles.
Director of pathology services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Maxwell Hove told The Herald on Friday that authorities were working on ensuring the tests are conducted locally.
"The issue is being dealth with and we are trying to come up with the Coroner Law to be able to conduct DNA tests in the country. "Government will pass the law soon in order to resolve the issue."
The accident occurred last Wednesday at the 206km-peg along the Tanganda-Chiredzi Highway when a truck ferrying mourners collided head-on with the tanker, resulting in an inferno.
Mr Clifford Muyambo's corpse which was scheduled for burial the following morning, was also burnt.
Relatives of the deceased had initially demanded that the victims, burnt beyond recognition be given mass burials. They wanted the burials to be done quickly. But yesterday there was a dramatic U turn with the same relatives now demanding DNA tests to identify the charred bodies.
Chipinge District Administrator Mr Edgars Seenza confirmed the change of programme. Mr Seenza, who met the grieving family members, said a decision was taken for forensic tests to be conducted.
"At the moment, all mass burials have been suspended because, for now, we have relatives of the deceased calling for forensic tests to ascertain the identity of the bodies. Police are working flat out to ensure the identities of the 17 are established.
"However, we can confirm that eight bodies that were positively identified have been collected for burial," he told The Sunday Mail
The Muyambo family is believed to have been leading calls for the mass burials.
The remainder of the bodies was excluded as feuding erupted over the identification of the bodies.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiling would have helped identify the horribly burnt victims, but Zimbabwe does not have a DNA forensic laboratory even though the technological breakthrough was made in the mid-1980s.
DNA profiling (also called DNA testing, DNA typing, or genetic fingerprinting) is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles.
Director of pathology services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Maxwell Hove told The Herald on Friday that authorities were working on ensuring the tests are conducted locally.
"The issue is being dealth with and we are trying to come up with the Coroner Law to be able to conduct DNA tests in the country. "Government will pass the law soon in order to resolve the issue."
The accident occurred last Wednesday at the 206km-peg along the Tanganda-Chiredzi Highway when a truck ferrying mourners collided head-on with the tanker, resulting in an inferno.
Mr Clifford Muyambo's corpse which was scheduled for burial the following morning, was also burnt.
Source - sundaymail
