Special morgue 'not for public'

2005-09-06 11:06

Saint Gabriel - The small Louisiana town of Saint Gabriel took on a grim role in the Hurricane Katrina relief operation on Monday, with the opening of a special morgue capable of holding 5 000 bodies.

Medical officials said the facility, installed in a large warehouse not far from the state capital Baton Rouge, would be able to process 144 bodies a day with a staff of 100 working in shifts to keep it going around the clock.

The first bodies were expected to arrive on Monday evening. Thousands are feared dead across the US Gulf Coast after Katrina slammed into the region one week ago, triggering widespread flooding and submerging New Orleans.

Todd Ellis, commander of the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (D-MORT) that will operate the morgue, said the bodies would be brought to the facility in body bags transported by refrigerated trucks.

Location 'hidden'

After cleaning, specialised forensic teams will gather and log personnel effects, photograph faces and any distinguishing marks, take dental x-rays and collect DNA samples.

"We want to treat these bodies with all respect and dignity," Ellis said.

In the case of bodies that have been swollen and disfigured by being in the water for a lengthy period, forensic specialist Corinne Stern said they could still be identified by extracting DNA from bone matter.

Finally, the bodies will be numbered, placed in fresh bags and then stored in refrigerated trailers.

In order to prevent families with missing members flooding to the morgue, officials said access would be barred to the public with state officials handling the process of helping relatives identify and claim victims.

They also requested that journalists not specify the facility's precise location.

Louis Cataldie, the head of Louisiana disaster medical services, said it was still unclear just how long the morgue would be needed.

"How long can the operation take? I don't know how much time it can take. It'll be dependent on the number of the casualties that are brought here," he said.

"I don't want people to be alarmed. I don't want to inflate these numbers. My God, isn't it horrible enough?" he added.

- AFP