[Identification of victims after a fire on the ferry "Scandinavian Star"].

Abstract

Cooperation between Scandinavian Victim Identification Commissions was tested thoroughly after the ship disaster at Easter 1990. The fire claimed 158 victims all killed by poisonous smoke from a fast spreading fire, which went on for 36 hours. Many of the bodies were found incinerated in burnt-out cabins. More than 100 specialists were at work for 17 days before all missing persons were identified. The whole operation was led by the Norwegian authorities in Oslo. They decided that a search for human remains should be attempted in the destroyed part of the ship by help of police technicians, forensic pathologists and forensic dentists. The placing of forensic and dental expertise at the site of the disaster made it possible to identify all victims of the fire. Eighteen forensic trained dentists supported the work: thirteen from Norway, four from Denmark and one from Iceland. Two of the Danish dentists were placed at police headquarters in Copenhagen preparing the antemortem data from the Danish passengers on the ship.