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Takuapa, Thailand
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Whilst we have a care of duty to ensure that the dead are treated with decency and respect, we have a care of duty, ethics, morals and support to the families who must live with this for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately when we think of the casualties of a disaster we usually think of the deceased, but the real casualties are the survivors.
Sue Black, forensic anthropologist
[GRAPHIC CONTENT] In January 2005, I traveled to Thailand to see the genesis of the Thai forensic identification project. The project fell into place under the direction of international police teams, Interpol, and Thailand's maverick pathologist, Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand. I was granted full access to the Thai side of the Yan Yao temple (the foreign teams kept to themselves) to document the project. I spent four weeks at the temple, photographing the complete development of the identification project until the day Dr. Pornthip left.
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Tsunami Drawing, 2005
Children at the camp for the homeless near near Bang Muang, Thailand, have been painting pictures of the tsunami disaster. The drawings are therapy and income, and will be sold in the U.S. to support the refugees.
photos/slides/050127-DG-8664.jpg
David Gross
Tsunami Drawing, 2005
Children at the camp for the homeless near near Bang Muang, Thailand, have been painting pictures of the tsunami disaster. The drawings are therapy and income, and will be sold in the U.S. to support the refugees.
Tsunami Drawing, 2005
Children at the camp for the homeless near near Bang Muang, Thailand, have been painting pictures of the tsunami disaster. The drawings are therapy and income, and will be sold in the U.S. to support the refugees.
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Protester against moving bodies, 2005
Protesters against moving the bodies of tsunami victims from the Yan Yao temple to Phuket, in Thailand, blocked the road in front of the temple. A few showed pictures of their missing relatives and friends, lost in the tsunami in Thailand and yet to be found.
photos/slides/050625-163701-864.jpg
David Gross
Protester against moving bodies, 2005
Protesters against moving the bodies of tsunami victims from the Yan Yao temple to Phuket, in Thailand, blocked the road in front of the temple. A few showed pictures of their missing relatives and friends, lost in the tsunami in Thailand and yet to be found.
Protester against moving bodies, 2005
Protesters against moving the bodies of tsunami victims from the Yan Yao temple to Phuket, in Thailand, blocked the road in front of the temple. A few showed pictures of their missing relatives and friends, lost in the tsunami in Thailand and yet to be found.
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Photographs of a Identified Person in Thailand, 2005
A friend of the family shows photographs of a German man who died in the tsunami, at the Yan Yao Temple, Thailand, where the final identification was made. The friend, who'd come seraching for this man, recognized the tattoo on the right shoulder the photograph of the corpse.
photos/slides/16950-35.jpg
David Gross
Photographs of a Identified Person in Thailand, 2005
A friend of the family shows photographs of a German man who died in the tsunami, at the Yan Yao Temple, Thailand, where the final identification was made. The friend, who'd come seraching for this man, recognized the tattoo on the right shoulder the photograph of the corpse.
Photographs of a Identified Person in Thailand, 2005
A friend of the family shows photographs of a German man who died in the tsunami, at the Yan Yao Temple, Thailand, where the final identification was made. The friend, who'd come seraching for this man, recognized the tattoo on the right shoulder the photograph of the corpse.
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Corpses Awaiting DNA Extraction, 2005
Corpses lay on the ground in a dry ice mist while volunteers extracted ribs to take DNA samples. At the Yan Yao temple in Thailand forensic scientists were working on the identification and storage of the dead. Most of the bodies were Thai, but occasionally a foreigner was found.
photos/slides/050625-162203-628.jpg
David Gross
Corpses Awaiting DNA Extraction, 2005
Corpses lay on the ground in a dry ice mist while volunteers extracted ribs to take DNA samples. At the Yan Yao temple in Thailand forensic scientists were working on the identification and storage of the dead. Most of the bodies were Thai, but occasionally a foreigner was found.
Corpses Awaiting DNA Extraction, 2005
Corpses lay on the ground in a dry ice mist while volunteers extracted ribs to take DNA samples. At the Yan Yao temple in Thailand forensic scientists were working on the identification and storage of the dead. Most of the bodies were Thai, but occasionally a foreigner was found.
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Corpse of Child, 2005
Very young children were the most difficult to examine of the tsunami victims because they decayed quickly, and had fewer identifying marks. This child is lying in the examination area of the Yan Yao temple, Thailand.
photos/slides/17030-13.jpg
David Gross
Corpse of Child, 2005
Very young children were the most difficult to examine of the tsunami victims because they decayed quickly, and had fewer identifying marks. This child is lying in the examination area of the Yan Yao temple, Thailand.
Corpse of Child, 2005
Very young children were the most difficult to examine of the tsunami victims because they decayed quickly, and had fewer identifying marks. This child is lying in the examination area of the Yan Yao temple, Thailand.
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Soldiers in Body Container, 2005
Soldiers take a break in the door to a storage container containing bodies of victims of the tsunami in Thailand. The containers keep the bodies cold, to slow decay.
photos/slides/17130-30.jpg
David Gross
Soldiers in Body Container, 2005
Soldiers take a break in the door to a storage container containing bodies of victims of the tsunami in Thailand. The containers keep the bodies cold, to slow decay.
Soldiers in Body Container, 2005
Soldiers take a break in the door to a storage container containing bodies of victims of the tsunami in Thailand. The containers keep the bodies cold, to slow decay.
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Organizing DNA Samples, 2005
Volunteers label and sort DNA sample at the Yan Yao temple tsunami victim identification center in Thailand. The samples include teeth and ribs.
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David Gross
Organizing DNA Samples, 2005
Volunteers label and sort DNA sample at the Yan Yao temple tsunami victim identification center in Thailand. The samples include teeth and ribs.
Organizing DNA Samples, 2005
Volunteers label and sort DNA sample at the Yan Yao temple tsunami victim identification center in Thailand. The samples include teeth and ribs.
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Hammering ID Tags, 2005
Thai soldiers, brought in to aid the identification teams, hammer codes into metal tags to attach to corpses, to identify them as they move through the identification process at the Yan Yao temple in Thailand.
photos/slides/17050-32.jpg
David Gross
Hammering ID Tags, 2005
Thai soldiers, brought in to aid the identification teams, hammer codes into metal tags to attach to corpses, to identify them as they move through the identification process at the Yan Yao temple in Thailand.
Hammering ID Tags, 2005
Thai soldiers, brought in to aid the identification teams, hammer codes into metal tags to attach to corpses, to identify them as they move through the identification process at the Yan Yao temple in Thailand.
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Examination Area of Bang Muang Temple, 2005
Thai soldiers and volunteers move bodies in and out of the cold storage containers to extract DNA and sort them between Asians and Europeans, "pre-identification." Asian bodies are handled by the Thai, and Europeans given to the European forensic teams.
photos/slides/17130-11.jpg
David Gross
Examination Area of Bang Muang Temple, 2005
Thai soldiers and volunteers move bodies in and out of the cold storage containers to extract DNA and sort them between Asians and Europeans, "pre-identification." Asian bodies are handled by the Thai, and Europeans given to the European forensic teams.
Examination Area of Bang Muang Temple, 2005
Thai soldiers and volunteers move bodies in and out of the cold storage containers to extract DNA and sort them between Asians and Europeans, "pre-identification." Asian bodies are handled by the Thai, and Europeans given to the European forensic teams.
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Dr. Luba Matic in the storage container, 2005
Dr. Luba Matic stands at the entrance to a storage container full of semi-frozen corpses, victims of the tsunami in Thailand. These containers are at the Bang Muang temple, in the Khao Lak region, where the greatest number of people died.
photos/slides/16930-34.jpg
David Gross
Dr. Luba Matic in the storage container, 2005
Dr. Luba Matic stands at the entrance to a storage container full of semi-frozen corpses, victims of the tsunami in Thailand. These containers are at the Bang Muang temple, in the Khao Lak region, where the greatest number of people died.
Dr. Luba Matic in the storage container, 2005
Dr. Luba Matic stands at the entrance to a storage container full of semi-frozen corpses, victims of the tsunami in Thailand. These containers are at the Bang Muang temple, in the Khao Lak region, where the greatest number of people died.
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Children Paint Tsunami Pictures, 2005
Children at the camp for the homeless near near Bang Muang, Thailand, have been painting pictures of the tsunami disaster. The drawings are therapy and income, and will be sold in the U.S. to support the refugees.
photos/slides/17190-7.jpg
David Gross
Children Paint Tsunami Pictures, 2005
Children at the camp for the homeless near near Bang Muang, Thailand, have been painting pictures of the tsunami disaster. The drawings are therapy and income, and will be sold in the U.S. to support the refugees.
Children Paint Tsunami Pictures, 2005
Children at the camp for the homeless near near Bang Muang, Thailand, have been painting pictures of the tsunami disaster. The drawings are therapy and income, and will be sold in the U.S. to support the refugees.
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Ceremony for the Dead, 2005
At the Yan Yao temple, where thousands of bodies of tsunami victims lie, the Thai performed a ceremony to send the spirits of the dead to heaven.
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David Gross
Ceremony for the Dead, 2005
At the Yan Yao temple, where thousands of bodies of tsunami victims lie, the Thai performed a ceremony to send the spirits of the dead to heaven.
Ceremony for the Dead, 2005
At the Yan Yao temple, where thousands of bodies of tsunami victims lie, the Thai performed a ceremony to send the spirits of the dead to heaven.
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Flying Lanterns, 2005
At the memorial service for tsunami victims in Thailand, thousands of people joined to release over 2,000 flying lanterns into the night sky.
photos/slides/050625-163301-666.jpg
David Gross
Flying Lanterns, 2005
At the memorial service for tsunami victims in Thailand, thousands of people joined to release over 2,000 flying lanterns into the night sky.
Flying Lanterns, 2005
At the memorial service for tsunami victims in Thailand, thousands of people joined to release over 2,000 flying lanterns into the night sky.
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Two Boys, 2005
Children at the camp for people left homeless by the tsunami, near Bang Muang, Thailand.
photos/slides/050127-DG-8685.jpg
David Gross
Two Boys, 2005
Children at the camp for people left homeless by the tsunami, near Bang Muang, Thailand.
Two Boys, 2005
Children at the camp for people left homeless by the tsunami, near Bang Muang, Thailand.
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