This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
On March 10, 2019, a devastating Ethiopian Airlines crash claimed the lives of 157 people from 35 countries. Six months later, families of the victims still grapple with the loss.
However, in a significant breakthrough, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has successfully identified all victims of the crash. The identification process involved nearly 100 Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) experts from 14 countries in Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
According to Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock, the accurate identification of the victims is of immense importance to the families who are suffering from their loss. Stock noted that international cooperation and coordination are vital to these efforts, and Interpol's extensive experience provided significant value.
Experts from the affected countries and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the exercise, which was conducted in accordance with international DVI standards. The identification process was a testament to the power of international cooperation and the importance of accurate identification in the wake of a tragedy.
Meanwhile, families that lost loved ones in the crash held a vigil in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. Paul Njoroge, who lost his wife, three children, and a mother-in-law, was seen holding pictures of his family. Njoroge told reporters, 'While all your lives move on for the last six months, the lives of the families of the victims, my life has not moved an inch.'
