International rescue and forensic teams

(31 Dec 2004) 1. Bodies lined up in body bags 2. Various of doctors and officials standing with bodies 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Luba Matic, Volunteer Doctor: "There are some landmarks (identifying objects) which can be used relatively reliably, like tattoos or personal belongings if eventually found, but a majority of cases fall in a grey area which we sometimes have a hard time to distinguish, sometimes even between genders, because the stage of decomposition is so advanced that a lot of landmarks are lost." 4. Doctors standing next to makeshift morgue 5. Doctors bringing bodies into morgue 6. People standing next to wall of photos of the dead 7. Information table 8. Woman sitting at information table with photo of child 9. Photo of child 10. Search and rescue team standing on debris pile 11. German shepherd dog, tilt up to show rescue team 12. Back of T-shirt reading, "ISAR Germany" (International Search and Rescue) 13. Dog working in debris heap 14. Various of rescuers working amid debris 15. Rows of body bags on ground 16. Woman taking notes 17. Various of body bag being carried away 18. Wide of devastated scene STORYLINE: International teams and thousands of Thais were continuing the country''s largest-ever rescue and relief operation on Friday in the wake of last weekend''s devastating tsunami. In the coastal resort of Khao Lak, doctors and forensic experts worked to try and identify the dead. Volunteer doctor Luba Matic said it was extremely difficult to identify people because "the stage of decomposition is so advanced". Near a hospital, German firefighters helped their Thai counterparts drain a large pool to see if any more bodies could be found. Volunteers carried the bodies of victims to one of three pagodas where Thai and international teams are collecting data they hope will eventually help identify them. The rescue mission is taking place against a backdrop of blasted out windows, gutted hotels and pieces of wood piercing the earth like shards of glass. The Interior Ministry on Friday put the official death toll at 4,510 dead, a twofold increase from the previous day including 2,230 foreigners. Another 6,475 were missing, the Interior Ministry said. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has warned that Thailand''s death toll could approach 7,000. Citizens of more than 40 countries were reported vacationing in six southern Thai provinces when the disaster struck. Keywords - Indian ocean earthquake tsunami You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d4556542e7f23ac3f2c6677ef63162da Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork