The latest reports on the Victorian Bushfires state that 209 people have been declared dead. In other words, authorities are confident that they have found the remains of that many people.
But how many are missing? Or, how many people can we reasonably expect to have died in the Victorian fires in early February?
Its the one question i just cant seem to see an answer to. And its really baffling.
Any major disaster event that occurs throughout the world, the media brings us two figures. Such an amount dead, and such an amount missing.
So where is the missing figure here? And is anyone requesting it?
It seems that the media were all to eager in the first week after the fires to provide regular updates to the growing death toll. In fact, it was almost their major story.
But surely in a country such as Australia, with sophisticated record keeping and proper checks and balances by government authorities on the ground, we should have been able to ascertain a figure of how many people are actually missing. Or at least an estimation.
I can understand that some of the victims are so badly burned and disfigured that identification will take some time.
But I'm thinking that it cant be too hard for authorities to release a figure which suggests how many people have been reported missing, by families, friends, neigbours and work colleagues.
The initial missing figure and the eventual final death toll will almost never correspond, but it would at least be nice to know or have an idea how many people may have died in the fires.
I'm not suggesting conspiracy, just a breakdown in media communications or an unwillingness of the authorities to cooperate.
About Just Grumpy
1 comments
The total has just revised up to 210, PArt of the problem I found out in regards to the missing, is some of the victims are whole families, no left to report them gone until the communities can get back to see who is not there.
others who have been report as missing have been found, and either fled or were away.
The fires are still burning and come Friday there are fears they will loose control of those still burning.
The last figure I heard was 50+ unidentifiable, hundreds missing, but then nothing. If I hear I'll let you know, the update death tol was DNA testing proved in one case one dead was actually two. Some people where burnt to ash, and others so burnt they didnt realise it was a person.
It will take a very long time to get the full figures and to grasp the enormity of what we have lost.
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