This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On September 12, 2019, Interpol announced the completion of its 50-day mission to identify the victims of the Ethiopian Airline crash, which occurred on March 10, 2019.
Nearly 100 Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) experts from 14 countries in Africa, America, and Europe supported the work of Interpol's Incident Response Team (IRT) during the mission.
According to Interpol, the joint effort by its member countries and the expertise of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) resulted in 48 victims being positively identified by their fingerprints.
Additionally, DNA samples collected from families of the victims were sent to a specialised laboratory for analysis, aiding in the identification process.
Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock stated, “In the wake of such a tragedy, the accurate identification of the victims is of immense importance to the families who are suffering from their loss.”
The Ethiopian Airline crash occurred on March 10, 2019, when Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 from Addis Ababa bound for Nairobi crashed near the Ethiopian town of Bishoftu, killing all 157 passengers and crew members from 35 countries.
