Four emergency morgue units sent to disaster area

Friday, September 2, 2005 Posted: 1949 GMT (0349 HKT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S government is sending four mobile morgues to the area struck by Hurricane Katrina.
One unit is working in Louisiana and the other three are en route or in staging areas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday.

The death toll in the storm remains uncertain but officials have said it could be hundreds or thousands.
Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams -- known as DMORT -- are made up of civilian volunteers who provide victim identification and mortuary services.

The teams set up temporary morgue facilities and handle body preparation and disposal of remains.
Organized under FEMA, the teams work under direction of local authorities during an emergency.

They include funeral directors, medical examiners, coroners, pathologists, forensic anthropologists, medical records technicians and transcribers, finger print specialists, forensic dental experts, dental assistants, x-ray technicians, mental health specialists, computer professionals, administrative support staff and security and investigative personnel.

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