Management of Dead Bodies in Disaster Situations

Major disasters occurring in this Region, regardless of their origin, have had one
thing in common: an enormous number of fatalities. Hurricane Mitch in Central
America, floods in Venezuela, the earthquake in El Salvador, hurricanes in the
Caribbean, and disasters of human origin—such as the Mesa Redonda fire in Lima,
wars, or aviation accidents, to name a few—have resulted in many deaths. Each disaster
has yielded important evidence about handling bodies, particularly when the
number of dead overwhelms the capacity of a country to effectively respond to an
emergency.
Immediately following the onset of a disaster, it is essential for national, regional,
or local authorities to concentrate their actions and resources on three basic activities:
first, the rescue and treatment of survivors; second, the repair and maintenance
of basic services; and, finally, the recovery and management of bodies.
Controversy has always surrounded the handling of mass fatalities. Myths about
treatment of the dead are strongly rooted in culture. Contemplating massive measles
vaccination campaigns after an earthquake because of the fear that corpses could
transmit this disease, or burying or incinerating corpses without completing required
identification processes because of the supposed contamination risk they pose, are
just two examples of the myths that form part of the popular culture. Despite efforts
by experts to dispel these and other beliefs, certain fallacies have led and continue to
lead to unacceptable practices in managing dead bodies. For example, after the earthquake
in India in 2001, in which the number of fatalities approached 100,000, the
bodies recovered were cremated. The wood supply was quickly exhausted, leaving
the survivors without enough fuel for cooking or heating.1
Considering these factors, PAHO’s Area on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster
Relief has developed this manual as a tool to be used by national and local authorities
and professionals from public institutions that are affected by this issue.
This manual provides the technical information that will support the correct
approach to handling dead bodies, taking into account the following principles:
u When death is the result of a disaster, the body does not pose a risk for infection;
u Victims should never be buried in common graves;
u Mass cremation of bodies should never take place when this goes against the cultural
and religious norms of the population;
u Every effort must be taken to identify the bodies. As a last resort, unidentified
bodies should be placed in individual niches or trenches, which is a basic
human right of the surviving family members.