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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
EIGHTEEN bodies that were part of the 23 which were burnt beyond recognition following a bus crash in Mvuma have been identified and their families have started collecting them for burial.

The National University of Science and Technology (Nust) Applied Genetic Testing Centre (AGTC) DNA lab completed the identification process over the weekend and yesterday 16 families collected the remains of their relatives.

In an interview yesterday, AGTC chairperson Mr Zephaniah Dhlamini dismissed claims that there will be mass burials for the victims describing the identification process as nightmarish and traumatising.

He said 18 bodies have been positively identified by their relatives while one male body has not been matched.

“We had 23 bodies and body parts were picked and labelled. Out of those we found 19 bodies belonging to 19 people. We matched 18 bodies to their relatives and one body was not matched. We appeal to those missing a male relative to come with their samples for testing,” said Mr Dhlamini.

He said they failed to identify between three to four bodies that were burnt to ashes.

“The reason for failure is that there was no body part to use as a sample. Most probably if they were in the bus they were burnt to ashes,” he said.

Mr Dhlamini said they went through a difficult process, dealing with bodies in a field they are not trained in.

“They were completely burnt, most of the bodies had broken limbs. The hands and legs were broken. So we gave the families those remains. For instance some of the remains would consist of the head, up to the lower back with broken legs,” said Mr Dhlamini.

He said in future his team should not go to the ground for the identification process.

“It’s quite traumatic but we were working with  pathologists. In future as the technology gets embraced we should trust pathologists to collect the right samples for us. Most of our local pathologists had never done such training so we had to be there directing them on how to do it,” Mr Dhlamini said.

@nqotshili