Beyond the flames
Understanding the impact of loss without body recovery or identification in fire-related mass disaster contexts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13119758 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maria Beatriz Barreiro Gama da Silva (0000-0003-2943-0461, University of Coimbra, corresponding author), Miguel Morgado (0000-0002-4753-075X, University of Coimbra), Maria Teresa Ferreira (0000-0002-2437-7780, University of Coimbra) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | owae043-owae043 |
| Publication date | 2024-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Forensic Sciences Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2471-1411 • E-ISSN: 2096-1790 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/fsr/owae043 |
| PMID | 40256282 |
| OpenAlex | W4401206951 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 39 |
The World Trade Center attack (2001), the Black Saturday (2009), the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (2014), the wildfires of June and October in Portugal (2017), the California wildfires (2018)-these are a few examples of mass disaster events, specifically related to fire and high temperatures, which resulted in multiple casualties and several people unidentified and/or missing. Besides the physical destruction, the lost lives are one of the main consequences of these contexts. Dealing with the loss of a family member may not be an easy process; however, it is easier to accept when there is a body to bury. Conversely, not knowing the whereabouts of a person who might have been involved in a disaster makes mourning and returning to daily life harder. The family of the missing/unidentified lives in doubt and in a state termed as "ambiguous loss". Forensic anthropologists face several challenges and obstacles when detecting and analyzing burnt skeletal remains, which are increased in mass disaster contexts. However, the suffering experienced by the families of the victims of these contexts is far superior. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to employ all efforts to achieve the identity of these victims to allow the families to mourn, as well as to reassure society that no death is insignificant. Thus, the importance of identifying the victims of scenarios involving fire/heat is addressed in this paper through a brief description of some mass disaster events, emphasizing the challenges faced in identifying burnt remains and the psychological consequences families endure resulting from it
Biology · Forensic engineering · Identification (biology · Burn Injury Management and Outcomes · Engineering · Environmental Science · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Homelessness and Social Issues · Ecology
Death, Anthropology of
The role of forensic anthropology in disaster victim identification (DVI)
The Outcome of the Forensic Triage Preceding Disaster Victim Identification in the Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
Research Integrity in Forensic Anthropology
The Dual Process Model of Coping With Bereavement
New perspectives in forensic anthropology
Disaster victim identification operations with fragmented, burnt, or commingled remains
Mourning and Meaning
Ambiguous Loss Research, Theory, and Practice
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |