42% of 9/11 victims still remain unidentified

I came across a surprising article from the USAToday yesterday morning stating that the efforts to identify the remains of the victims who died in the World Trade Center attacks will end for now. These terrorist attacks have created a lasting impact for me and have taken so many lives; yet, I was not aware that the remains of 1,161 of the 2,749 people are still unidentified. That's approximately 42%! In addition to using DNA analysis, medical examiners have also used dental x-rays, fingerprints, photos, personal effects, body x-rays, and tattoos to try to identify victims. Current methods are not advanced enough and have made identifications a long and anxious process for families who lost loved ones in the attacks. With hope, sometimes one identification may take up to 4 months and only 8 bodies have been identified since last September. Of the 19,916 remains found, medical examiners identified 51% of them, but NYC's identification work will go into a "pause" for the time being until future tests are developed.

Presently, the unidentified remains are stored in vacuum-sealed packages and will eventually be moved to the WTC memorial once construction is finished.

It's been about 3 years since our country has been affected by these attacks and many victims' families are still not at peace yet.

For the article:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2005-02-23-sept11-ids_x.htm