Disaster Victim Identificaion Australasian and South East Asian Cases and Practice

Written in response to a recognized need for suitable and appropriate publication of DVI material, this book aids in improving preparedness for future mass disaster events and increases awareness through past history and experience. The book presents past mass fatality incidents in Australasia and South East Asia from the perspective of the investigative/legal and medical/scientific specialists who performed the victim identification in the jurisdiction in which each disaster occurred. It presents a selected, historical record of past mass fatality events and includes candid discussion of potential areas for improvement in preparedness and future deployment capabilities.

Viscount Airliner Crash 1961 - New South Wales PoliceWilliam Booth Memorial Hostel Fire 1966 - Victoria PoliceWahine Disaster 1968 - New Zealand PolicePort Hedland Aircraft Crash 1968 - West Australia PoliceWasleys Crossing Train and Bus Collision 1970 - South Australia PoliceWest Gate Bridge Collapse 1970 - Victoria PoliceCyclone Tracy 1974 - Northern Territory PoliceMoura Mine Disasters 1975, 1986 & 1994 - Queensland PoliceGranville Train Disaster 1977 - New South Wales PoliceAir New Zealand Flight 901 Mt Erebus Disaster 1979 - New Zealand PoliceSavoy Hotel Kings Cross Fire 1975 - New South Wales PoliceCowper (Grafton) Bus and Semi-trailer Crash 1989 - New South Wales PoliceClybucca Flat (Kempsey) Bus Crash 1989 - New South Wales PoliceNewcastle Earthquake 1989 - New South Wales PoliceCave Creek Disaster 1995 - New Zealand PoliceSpeed Street Fire 1995 - New South Wales PolicePort Arthur Massacre 1996 - Tasmania PoliceBlackhawk Helicopter Crash 1996 - Queensland PoliceGracetown Cliff Collapse 1996 - West Australia Police,Thredbo Landslide 1997 - New South Wales PoliceChilders Hostel Fire 2000 - Queensland PoliceBali Bombing 2002 - Australian Federal & State PoliceBlack Saturday Bushfires 2009 - Victoria PoliceAshmore Reef Boat ExploSion 2009 - Northern Territory PoliceSummaryAppendix 1: Relevant legislationAppendix 2: Time line and basic data relating to Australasian mass fatality events

Keith Loft is a Queensland police officer and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) specialist. He has been deployed on local, national, and international disasters. His doctorate research is focused on improving the coordination of DVI in Australia. Dr. Peter Ellis is a forensic pathologist with the Queensland Health Forensic Scientific Services and Adjunct Professor of Forensic Medicine and Pathology at Griffith University. He is Australia's senior forensic pathologist for Disaster Victim Identification. He has deployed on operations in Australia and overseas. Dr Alex Forrest is Education Associate Professor of Forensic Odontology in the School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences at Griffith University. He is a forensic odontologist and team leader of forensic biometrics and digital imaging at Griffith University, as well as the consultant forensic odontologist to Queensland Health. He has provided forensic human identification services in Australia and overseas.