title: The Kaprun cable car fire disaster--aspects of forensic organisation following a mass fatality with 155 victims.
abstract: In November 2000, a tunnel-bound cable car in Kaprun caught fire, with the subsequent death of 155 persons. No passenger list was in existence and bodies were burnt to such an extent that morphological identification was not feasible. A full post-mortem examination was performed on all bodies. All bodies were positively identified within 19 days after the incident by DNA analysis. Cause of death was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning in combination with suffocation due to inhalation of smoke. The organisational aspects of processing are portrayed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Salzburg University, Ignaz Harrerstr. 79, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria. harald.meyer@sbg.ac.at
authors.forename: Harald J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology; D001317:Austria; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000097:blood; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood; D004190:Disasters; D005390:Fires; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015208:Smoke Inhalation Injury / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D004247:DNA