Bangkok: The identities of all 27 bodies have been verified, and authorities are currently awaiting DNA comparisons with relatives to confirm before the bodies are released to their families. It is anticipated that the release for religious rites will occur within 2-3 days.
According to Thai News Agency, Police Major General Wirun Suphasinghsiripreecha, Commander of the Forensic Science Institute at the Police Hospital, disclosed that while the identification process has been completed, DNA samples still need to be collected from relatives for comparison. Currently, officials are in the process of contacting the relatives of the deceased who have not yet been reached.
If relatives can come in person to provide DNA samples, the comparison and verification process is expected to take approximately 1-2 days. More than half of the relatives have already reached out to authorities to provide the necessary DNA samples.
In this case, even though relatives have confirmed the identity of the deceased as a family member, a DNA test is mandatory to avoid errors in returning the body. It is expected that the process will take at least 2-3 days before the bodies can be returned to the relatives for religious ceremonies.