Unidentified victims “will not be cremated’

PHUKET: Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula today stressed that the bodies of foreign victims of last Sunday’s tsunami will not be cremated or buried before they can be identified.

His statement contradicted an earlier one by Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura that burials would begin at a site in Mai Khao today.

Speaking at a press conference at the emergency center at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning, K. Bhokin said the bodies of foreigners are now being kept in six cold storage containers at Mai Khao, on the left side of the main highway leading off Phuket, approximately one kilometer beyond the Tah Chat Chai police checkpoint.

The Minister said more containers were on the way, as more and more bodies continue to arrive at the site from Phang Nga.

“Victims’ corpses will be stored so that they can be identified and returned to relatives for proper funerary rites, in accordance with their own religious beliefs,” he said.

Sompong Boonsri, an officer from Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organization, told the Gazette that no burials would take place for “at least for a month” in order to allow relatives time to identify loved ones.

Phuket News

Thaiger Talk

Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.

Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.

Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Legacy Phuket Gazette

Archiving articles from the Phuket Gazette circa 1998 - 2017. View the Phuket Gazette online archive and Digital Gazette PDF Prints.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply