Over 340 Yangtze victims confirmed via DNA

World Today

Forensic experts have confirmed the identities of more victims from the capsized Eastern Star cruise ship. CCTV’s Yin Hang reports from Jianli county in Hubei Province.

More details:

  • More than 170 forensic staff in Jianli, Jingzhou and Wuhan are working around the clock to confirm the identities of the victims of the ill-fated Eastern Star cruise ship.
  • As of Thursday morning, forensic teams have found matches on 342 DNA samples.
  • DNA tests are based on blood samples from immediate family members. If samples can be taken from both subjects parents and children, accuracy rates can reach up to 99.99%. But if there are not enough family samples to draw from, the DNA tests are not reliable enough to confirm a genetic match.