PHUKET: The identification of the fourth and final victim of Phuket's Tiger Disco inferno is being delayed by a French family, Phuket police said today.
Investigating officer Lieutenant Jongsorm Preecha said that he believed the family had so far failed to provide a DNA sample to compare with the DNA of the fire victim.
''We've had an email from them, saying that they believe the dead person is a family member,'' Lieutenant Jongsorm said.
''But to meet international standards of 99.9 certainty of identification, DNA, dental records or fingerprints are required. No DNA has been sent so far.''
The bodies of the other three victims, British tourist Michael Pio Tzouvanni, 24, and Thais Dongporn Budkor, 32, and Nipawat Sutasorn, 36, were identified last week.
The families of the two Thai women accepted compensation payouts of one million baht from the Tiger Group last Friday, when the new Tiger Live Band complex opened in Patong, on Phuket's west coast, with an international boxing match.
It is not known whether compensation has been sought or offered in the case of Mr Tzouvanni or the Frenchman who is believed to be the fourth victim.
Payouts or potential legal action are likely to depend on the fourth victim being positively identified to international standards.
Pathologists at the Royal Thai Police Institute of Forensic Medicine at the General Police Hospital in Bangkok are obliged to achieve a conclusive DNA match before they can make a formal identification.
The blaze at the Tiger Disco in Patong's famous Soi Bangla walking street also injured 11 people, some of whom jumped from an upstairs ledge to escape the flames.
The most badly injured survivor, Benjamin Tallanotte, 30, was transferred from Phuket to a hospital in Bangkok for treatment to second degree burns to 40 percent of his body.
Investigators have yet to confirm the cause of the blaze, which broke out about 3.55am on August 17. However, experts say the use of flammable insulating foam sped the flames before smoke asphyxiated the four victims.
Independent Coroner's Court hearings are sometimes held to establish the cause of death of Britons who perish overseas. It's not known at this stage whether Mr Tzouvanni's family is asking for an inquest.
Investigating officer Lieutenant Jongsorm Preecha said that he believed the family had so far failed to provide a DNA sample to compare with the DNA of the fire victim.
''We've had an email from them, saying that they believe the dead person is a family member,'' Lieutenant Jongsorm said.
''But to meet international standards of 99.9 certainty of identification, DNA, dental records or fingerprints are required. No DNA has been sent so far.''
The bodies of the other three victims, British tourist Michael Pio Tzouvanni, 24, and Thais Dongporn Budkor, 32, and Nipawat Sutasorn, 36, were identified last week.
The families of the two Thai women accepted compensation payouts of one million baht from the Tiger Group last Friday, when the new Tiger Live Band complex opened in Patong, on Phuket's west coast, with an international boxing match.
It is not known whether compensation has been sought or offered in the case of Mr Tzouvanni or the Frenchman who is believed to be the fourth victim.
Payouts or potential legal action are likely to depend on the fourth victim being positively identified to international standards.
Pathologists at the Royal Thai Police Institute of Forensic Medicine at the General Police Hospital in Bangkok are obliged to achieve a conclusive DNA match before they can make a formal identification.
The blaze at the Tiger Disco in Patong's famous Soi Bangla walking street also injured 11 people, some of whom jumped from an upstairs ledge to escape the flames.
The most badly injured survivor, Benjamin Tallanotte, 30, was transferred from Phuket to a hospital in Bangkok for treatment to second degree burns to 40 percent of his body.
Investigators have yet to confirm the cause of the blaze, which broke out about 3.55am on August 17. However, experts say the use of flammable insulating foam sped the flames before smoke asphyxiated the four victims.
Independent Coroner's Court hearings are sometimes held to establish the cause of death of Britons who perish overseas. It's not known at this stage whether Mr Tzouvanni's family is asking for an inquest.
but come on.. someone goes around to say that the people died in Tiger are 16 not 8, because of 8 burmese staff working upstairs disappeared in the fire(??).. but traces of DNA for sure is still on the place..
Posted by dave on August 29, 2012 19:50
Editor Comment:
Total crap, dave. You'll believe anything. Four people died, 11 injured. The rest is in your vivid imagination. Get over it.