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| After Brussels Attacks, a Slow Process to Confirm Families’ Worst Fears | After Brussels Attacks, a Slow Process to Confirm Families’ Worst Fears |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BRUSSELS — From his home in Tennessee, Levi Sutton has spent three days trying to figure out what happened to his half brother and sister-in-law, Justin and Stephanie Shults, who were at the Brussels international airport when the bombs went off. | |
| On Wednesday, the State Department told Mr. Sutton’s family that the couple “had been found,” without saying if they were alive or dead. Hours later, a Belgian social worker called to say that the information was wrong and that the Shultses’ whereabouts were unknown. Frustrated by the confusing and contradictory information, Mr. Sutton, a college student, has been posting pleas for help via Twitter. | |
| “We tried calling the embassy, the Red Cross, hospitals,” he said in a telephone interview. “We’re unable to get any information,” he added. “No one is telling us anything. All we can do is pray.” | “We tried calling the embassy, the Red Cross, hospitals,” he said in a telephone interview. “We’re unable to get any information,” he added. “No one is telling us anything. All we can do is pray.” |
| More than 72 hours after the deadly attacks at the Brussels airport and a busy subway station, the Belgian authorities still had not published a list of the victims. Families across Brussels and around the world were left waiting for word, prolonging the agony of those already suffering and teetering between hope, despair and grief. | More than 72 hours after the deadly attacks at the Brussels airport and a busy subway station, the Belgian authorities still had not published a list of the victims. Families across Brussels and around the world were left waiting for word, prolonging the agony of those already suffering and teetering between hope, despair and grief. |
| Some official confirmations did come out on Friday — but only a trickle. | Some official confirmations did come out on Friday — but only a trickle. |
| Two Americans were among the 31 people killed in Brussels, Secretary of State John Kerry announced at a morning news conference here in the Belgian capital, though many hours later the State Department still had not released their names. | Two Americans were among the 31 people killed in Brussels, Secretary of State John Kerry announced at a morning news conference here in the Belgian capital, though many hours later the State Department still had not released their names. |
| Three Dutch citizens were killed, too, came the word from the Foreign Ministry in the Netherlands. | Three Dutch citizens were killed, too, came the word from the Foreign Ministry in the Netherlands. |
| The German police announced by the afternoon that a young woman from Aachen who was at an airport checkout counter when the terror attacks erupted there on Tuesday morning had not survived, though her husband did, and was being treated at a Brussels hospital. Around midnight in China, the state-run news agency named another victim: Deng Jingquan, a businessman who was known as Frank. | The German police announced by the afternoon that a young woman from Aachen who was at an airport checkout counter when the terror attacks erupted there on Tuesday morning had not survived, though her husband did, and was being treated at a Brussels hospital. Around midnight in China, the state-run news agency named another victim: Deng Jingquan, a businessman who was known as Frank. |
| By Friday, about a third of those killed had been publicly identified, mostly by relatives, workplaces or universities, and often through social media. The Belgian authorities said the process was slow because of the mutilation of many bodies, particularly at the subway, where the bombs did more damage because of the enclosed space. | By Friday, about a third of those killed had been publicly identified, mostly by relatives, workplaces or universities, and often through social media. The Belgian authorities said the process was slow because of the mutilation of many bodies, particularly at the subway, where the bombs did more damage because of the enclosed space. |
| “We need to have 100 percent certainty in the identification of the victim before we can identify someone,” said Michael Jonniaux, a spokesman for the Belgian federal police, who are overseeing the gruesome task. | “We need to have 100 percent certainty in the identification of the victim before we can identify someone,” said Michael Jonniaux, a spokesman for the Belgian federal police, who are overseeing the gruesome task. |
| Though some have questioned whether Belgium’s fragmented and linguistically divided bureaucracy could be slowing things down, Mr. Jonniaux flatly rejected that idea. He cautioned against comparisons with other attacks, including the Nov. 13 massacre in Paris, saying identifying people killed in explosions is much more difficult than those killed by gunfire. | Though some have questioned whether Belgium’s fragmented and linguistically divided bureaucracy could be slowing things down, Mr. Jonniaux flatly rejected that idea. He cautioned against comparisons with other attacks, including the Nov. 13 massacre in Paris, saying identifying people killed in explosions is much more difficult than those killed by gunfire. |
| After a plane crash, he noted, investigators begin with a manifest of who was onboard, but no such list exists for a subway. The fact that the victims, including at least 300 wounded, are believed to be from at least 40 countries, only complicates the notification process. | After a plane crash, he noted, investigators begin with a manifest of who was onboard, but no such list exists for a subway. The fact that the victims, including at least 300 wounded, are believed to be from at least 40 countries, only complicates the notification process. |
| “I don’t think we are taking longer than other countries like Spain or Britain,” said Mr. Jonniaux, whose Victim Identification Team helped investigators after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashed in eastern Ukraine in July 2014 and after the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. “The state of the victim is much different.” | “I don’t think we are taking longer than other countries like Spain or Britain,” said Mr. Jonniaux, whose Victim Identification Team helped investigators after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashed in eastern Ukraine in July 2014 and after the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. “The state of the victim is much different.” |
| The Belgian government’s crisis center issued a statement responding to the families’ frustration, saying: “It is imperative not to make a mistake.” | |
| Mr. Jonniaux said his seven-member team had added 23 people after Tuesday’s attacks. | Mr. Jonniaux said his seven-member team had added 23 people after Tuesday’s attacks. |
| As rescue crews began sorting through the rubble after the morning blasts, victims from the airport were sent to a university hospital in the town of Leuven, while those from the Maelbeek subway station went to the military hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek in northern Brussels, which is also serving as a coordination point for relatives. The injured have since been scattered to 48 hospitals across Belgium, and some were sent to France. | As rescue crews began sorting through the rubble after the morning blasts, victims from the airport were sent to a university hospital in the town of Leuven, while those from the Maelbeek subway station went to the military hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek in northern Brussels, which is also serving as a coordination point for relatives. The injured have since been scattered to 48 hospitals across Belgium, and some were sent to France. |
| At the military hospital, a blocky concrete structure, the relatives of the missing must pass through two security checkpoints guarded by armed soldiers and police officers, and show identification. They are greeted by members of the Red Cross and officials from Mr. Jonniaux’s identification team, as well as a psychologist to help shepherd them through the process. | At the military hospital, a blocky concrete structure, the relatives of the missing must pass through two security checkpoints guarded by armed soldiers and police officers, and show identification. They are greeted by members of the Red Cross and officials from Mr. Jonniaux’s identification team, as well as a psychologist to help shepherd them through the process. |
| Relatives can help identify possessions found at the scene, such as eyeglasses, clothing or computers, though to call the body a match, the team requires DNA evidence, dental records, X-rays or digital fingerprints. | Relatives can help identify possessions found at the scene, such as eyeglasses, clothing or computers, though to call the body a match, the team requires DNA evidence, dental records, X-rays or digital fingerprints. |
| “We pick up everything that can be used as evidence,” Mr. Jonniaux said. “Anything that can provide a clue, such as a piece of jewelry or a valise.” | “We pick up everything that can be used as evidence,” Mr. Jonniaux said. “Anything that can provide a clue, such as a piece of jewelry or a valise.” |
| As of Friday afternoon, the list of confirmed dead included: | As of Friday afternoon, the list of confirmed dead included: |
| Olivier Delespesse, 45, a Belgian civil servant killed in the subway. | Olivier Delespesse, 45, a Belgian civil servant killed in the subway. |
| David Dixon, 51, a British software developer. | David Dixon, 51, a British software developer. |
| Léopold Hecht, a 20-year-old law student and actor from Belgium. | Léopold Hecht, a 20-year-old law student and actor from Belgium. |
| Loubna Lafquiri, a gym teacher at a Muslim school in Brussels. | Loubna Lafquiri, a gym teacher at a Muslim school in Brussels. |
| Bart Migom, 21, a Belgian student. | Bart Migom, 21, a Belgian student. |
| Alexander Pinczowski, 26, and Sascha Pinczowski, 29, who were brother and sister of Dutch origin and on their way to New York. | Alexander Pinczowski, 26, and Sascha Pinczowski, 29, who were brother and sister of Dutch origin and on their way to New York. |
| Adelma Tapia Ruiz, 36, a Peruvian mother of 3-year-old twin girls. | Adelma Tapia Ruiz, 36, a Peruvian mother of 3-year-old twin girls. |
| Jennifer Scintu-Waetzmann, 30, a German newlywed leaving for her honeymoon in New York. | Jennifer Scintu-Waetzmann, 30, a German newlywed leaving for her honeymoon in New York. |
| Elita Borbor Weah, 41, a single mother who was a refugee from Liberia living in the Netherlands. | Elita Borbor Weah, 41, a single mother who was a refugee from Liberia living in the Netherlands. |
| On Facebook, the search continued as well. “Have you seen this young woman?” begins one anguished post, accompanied by a photograph of a smiling woman with long brown hair. “Her name in Aline Bastin, Belgian nationality, 29 years old. She was very probably in the subway during the explosion. We are desperately looking for her — if you have seen her, please contact us!” | |
| Chandrasekar Ganesan enlisted a Facebook group for Indian expatriates in Belgium for help in finding his brother Raghavendran Ganesan, a software engineer, who rode the Brussels Metro daily to work. “I have talked with people from the Indian Embassy, Brussels, and they told me that they are searching for him. They have also looked into many hospitals it seems ... but still there is no word of him as of yet,” Mr. Ganesan wrote. “Still there is no information.” | |