it's the end of the world.

[threeplusfire]

DNA identification slows for victims of the World Trade Center Attack.

It's a strange story, with a lot of chilling details. The paragraph that stopped me cold was this one.

Many of the new DNA matches made this year have yielded additional remains for people already identified. The highest number of body parts matched to one person is more than 200.

Two hundred. One person. I don't think I would ever want to know. It's been awhile since I cried while reading about September 11th, but this did it. Because that one paragraph alone is fucking horrifying, and what the hell must it be like to deal with that day in day out?

Comments

[rubylou.livejournal.com]

When I was an undergraduate, I worked for the local county coroner. After a short while, I had to start seeing the bodies coming through as puzzles to be solved, and situations to help clear up. I had to, because otherwise it was just too hard.

I wonder if that's how they manage it.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

It has to be something like that, because I don't see how you could live otherwise.