DNA Identification of Human Remains in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI): An Identification of Burned Girls Students in Tanzania

The Government Chemist Laboratory Authority (GCLA) in Tanzania is the only institution offering DNA testing in solving various human identification challenges using Human DNA technology. Globally, forensic DNA typing has undeniably been a useful tool employed in cases such as criminal investigation,, missing persons and parentage testing. In Tanzania, the indispensable need for Human DNA technology in human identification was greatly emphasized in August 2009 following the inferno at Idodi secondary school in Iringa region whereby the fire burnt and razed a girl’s dormitory to the ground killing twelve girls student while leaving twenty students severely wounded. The cause of the fire was later determined to have been due to a lit candle by a student aiming to study late into the night even after the power generator had been switched off. DNA typing of 15 autosomal Short Tandem Repeat markers using ABI 3100 Genetic Analyser was performed on samples collected from the recovered deceased bodies and their relatives. Successful human identification was achieved for all twelve recovered bodies and their reunification with their respective families. Therefore, the Idodi gruesome incident marked both an icon in scientific approach towards the utilization of DNA technology for disaster victim identification and usefulness of experts’ collaborations from different disciplines in mass fatalities and human identification in Tanzania.