REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JEDDAH -- Indonesian Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team of police, will help to accelerate identification of victims who died in Mina incident. The team helped specifically to look for the bodies of Indonesian pilgrims.

"They will arrive on Friday (2/9) in Jeddah," said Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin  in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday (1/10) before heading back to Indonesia.

He estimated the number of DVI team from police of between 8 to 11 people. Once the DVI team arrives, they will immediately join the officers or forensic team from Saudi Arabia.

"I was contacted by Minister of Foreign Affairs, (Retno LP Marsudi) and Vice Minister (Abdurrahman M Fachir) that the Government of Saudi Arabia has agreed to involve our DVI team," he stated.

Since Mina incident on 24th September 2015, 74 Indonesian pilgrims have not returned to their lodgings. A total of 59 Indonesian citizens dead, consisted of 55 pilgrims and four of citizens who have been living in Saudi Arabia. While, five pilgrims were still hospitalized in Saudi Arabia hospitals.

"I hope the victims (who dead) are not increased," said Lukman.

Head of Work Area of Mecca, Arsyad Hidayat, said that because of the worsening condition of the corpse, the identification is no longer through photos, but by fingerprints.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika