When visual identification by relatives is considered unreliable, one method of identification is to track serial numbers on various types of implants, prostheses and pacemakers. However, since a large proportion of victims are young, this is unlikely in many instances.
Fires are also generally difficult to investigate. Fingerprints and other physical characteristics cannot always be checked. What remains then is to produce a DNA profile that can be compared with close relatives, but this is a time-consuming process, writes Berner Zeitung.
Unlike, for example, plane crashes or certain closed events, there are no ready-made lists of who was present. In a publicly accessible bar, the number of potential victims is simply much greater.
The entire forensic work is also made more difficult by the fact that the victims come not only from Switzerland but from several other countries. This complicates everything from contact with relatives to identification processes.
