Choking is one of the important modes of death in young children who are dying of unintentional injuries. Anatomical and physiological characteristics while eating could increase the incidence of choking in children under four years. Here, we have described two classical cases of choking in young children and discussed the important areas to be addressed. Parental awareness and education will be the important strategy that can prevent the incidence of choking.

Railway-related fatalities were rising and reported throughout the year. Reckless behavior and using the train as a suicide tool are the primary cause of these tragic deaths.A retrospective descriptive study based on decedents of locomotive trauma was carried out at the JMO office, Jaffna, from January 2015 to January 2022.Thirty decedents were included in this study. Among them, twenty-nine were male, and the age of the individuals ranged from 16 to 73 years. Fifty-seven percent(n=17) of them were between 20 to 40 years. Most were married (57%. n=17) and unemployed (57%, n=17). There were 20(67%) accidents, 09(30%) suicides, and manner could not be ascertained in one (03%) death. Among the accidental deaths, 60%(n=12) were due to vehicle-train collisions, and 80%(n=16) of the deaths occurred at railway crossings. Most (67%, n=06) of the suicidal deaths happened alongside the railway track, away from stations, or rail crossings. All the decedents in both accidents (100%, n=20) and suicides (100%, n=09) had lacerations over the head and neck area. Hundred percent (n=20) of accident cases sustained fractures of the head and neck, 33% (n=03) One (10%) case of decapitation was noted in the self-harmed group. Over the chest region, more than 50% of the deaths had fractures in both accidents (80%, n=16) and suicides (56%, n=05). One (10%) case of transection of the body at the level of the chest was seen in a suicide case. Transection of the body at the level of the abdomen was seen in the accident (05%, n=01) and suicide (10%, n=01). The distribution and nature of injuries were almost identical in both upper and lower limbs. The brain is the internal organ that is primarily affected in both accidents (90%, n=19) and suicides (78%, n=07). In eighty percent (n=24) of the cases cause of death has been determined as craniocerebral injuries, while in 20% (n=06) of the cases, multiple injuries were given as the cause of death.The majority of railroad deaths were accidental. Transections of the neck and chest were commoner in suicides than in accidents. The nature of external injuries and internal organ damage were not showing a significant difference in accidents and suicides.

Harris lines are commonly used in bioarcheology to infer lifestyle in ancient populations; however, their etiology and identification parameters are still under debate. The aim of this study is to observe the distribution of the lesions in a contemporary clinical sample to address their association with etiological factors, age, biological sex, and biogeographical origin. The sample consisted of 561 living individuals from Italy ( n = 268) and Sri Lanka ( n = 293). Radiographic images of long bones (humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, fibula), and information on biological sex and age were collected. Statistical analysis was conducted using Fisher's test, chi‐square tests, and odds ratios. Harris lines were significantly more frequent in bones of the lower limb ( p < 0.001), and among Sri Lankan (32%) rather than Italian‐grown individuals (20%) ( p = 0.001). No statistically significant differences between sexes were observed ( p = 0.790). No linear trend was found in the distribution of the lesions among age groups; however, their presence was attested among the oldest individuals (>80 years), challenging assumptions about bone remodeling and the evanescence of Harris lines. Additionally, morphological variation in radiopaque lesions was documented. The equal distribution between sexes is coherent with the characteristics and the contextual information of the samples, where no sex‐based disparities are reported. This sheds new light on the impact of female biological buffering, as well as enforcing the interpretative role of Harris lines in detecting inequalities between females and males. The differences observed among the two geographical subgroups may be related to the socioeconomic context of growth, highlighting the capacity of Harris lines to reflect variations in access to resources.

Introduction: The exhumation of human remains from wartime mass graves presents logistical, emotional, and technical challenges, especially in a post-conflict area. This forensic field case report highlights the experience of exhuming a mass grave discovered in Kokkuthuduvai, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka, following the country’s civil war from 1983 to 2009.Case Presentation: The excavation uncovered the skeletal remains of 52 individuals, suspected to be associated with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forces based on contextual, artefactual and clothing evidence. Descriptive anthropological analyses revealed a predominance of females, with ages ranging from approximately 12 to 53 years, and evidence of explosive and gunshot injuries. Major challenges included maintaining transparency and trust among a local population affected by the conflict and often distrustful of authorities. Strategies such as regular media briefings, independent observation, and culturally appropriate funeral rites were implemented to address these concerns, though they sometimes led to misinterpretation of scientific findings. Another challenge was managing the emotional impact on the survivors of the war, stemming from not getting answers about the fate of their kin. Financial constraints further complicated the project, as delays in the approval of funds hindered progress. Audio magnetotelluric techniques were utilized to delineate the grave’s extent, minimizing disruption to local infrastructure. Definitive individual identification was not achieved due to the absence of traceable records and reference DNA for comparisons. Examination of skeletal remains presented challenges relating to the interpretation of perimortem, antemortem and postmortem trauma, with imaging studies proving valuable for differentiating these changes.Conclusion: This experience from Sri Lanka highlights the importance of community engagement, emotional sensitivity, flexible funding, and advanced forensic techniques in mass grave investigations.

Death is an inevitable human occurrence, and ancient humans experienced anxiety and apprehension when faced with unnatural deaths. Prehistoric humans valued funeral proceedings and ceremonial rites due to their belief in life after death and reincarnation. Dead bodies can be disposed of legally or illegally. Legal methods include soil burials, entombment, cremation, or donation to medical institutions. Legal disposal requires certification by a medical practitioner and a death certificate. Illegal disposal involves secret burials, such as being thrown into waterways or burnt. Ancient societies used customs like burying corpses in uninhabited jungles or constructing “Towers of Silence” to prevent scavenging by animals. Sea burials are also practiced in some cases. To register a death, authorized individuals confirm its occurrence, transfer the body to undertakers for final disposition, and relatives register it with the registrar of birth, marriage, and death. Various death investigation methods have been implemented in different parts of the world, generally varying based on the investigating authority’s jurisdiction.The death investigation system of Sri Lanka is based partly on the English coroner’s system. The death investigation procedure in Sri Lanka is described in Sections 369 to 373 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP) of Sri Lanka 1980. However, the current inquest system has several deficiencies. It is high time to adopt a system. Sri Lanka should contemplate transitioning from the inquest system to the medical examiner system, as the medical examiner system is more efficient, and several countries followed this successfully.