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Relatives of Pakistan plane crash arrive in Islamabad to identify bodies
Source: Xinhua |
April 21, 2012, Saturday
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Online Edition
Online Edition
RELATIVES of passengers and crew members who died in a plane crash near Pakistan's capital yesterday evening arrived in Islamabad today to identify the bodies, officials said.
All 127 passengers and the crew aboard the local private Bhoja airlines Boeing-737 were killed in the crash, confirmed local Civil Aviation Authority. The plane was coming from the port city of Karachi to Islamabad.
Body parts of over 120 victims have been shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad for identification, reported local media.
Special information counters have been set up at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport and PIMS to facilitate the relatives.
Officials from the country's National Database and Registration Authority are present in the hospital to help in the identification of the bodies. DNA tests are also being carried out for identification as most of the bodies are mutilated and difficult to be identified.
The state-owned Pakistan International Airlines and Bhoja airlines had arranged flights for the relatives to airlift them from Karachi.
Hospital sources said that 63 bodies including bodies of four kids have been identified and 53 of them have been handed over to relatives.
The investigation team also started inquiry into the crash and members of the team have arrived at the site.
Local media reported that Boeing company will also send officials to Pakistan to assist the investigation.
Officials and residents said that the wreckage of the crashed plane was spread over nearly one kilometer area.
President Asif Ali Zardari had ordered inquiry into the second worst air crash in Pakistan in less than two years and the report be submitted to the presidency, presidential spokesman said.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik and aviation officials said that bad weather could be the major cause of the crash. Islamabad had been receiving heavy rains and strong wind coupled with thunders and lightening when the plane came down.
Malik told reporters that action would be taken against those who had given clearance to the pilot to land at Islamabad airport.
Aviation sources said that a black box flight recorder from the plane has been recovered by search teams. Recovery of the black box has raised hopes of understanding what really caused the crash.
The data recorder is in the custody of the Capital Development Authority and will be handed over to Civil Aviation Authority for investigation, officials said.
All records of control tower and radar systems at the Islamabad airport were sealed to listen to the conversation between the pilot and aviation officials, they said.
The Bhoja Airlines officials claimed that the plane Boeing-737 was fit for flight and aviation officials said the plane was over 30 years old.
The crash has raised many questions and local media has started debates as to why the plane was given permission to take off from Karachi and to land in Islamabad in bad weather.
The government has put name of the owner of the airlines on the Exit Control List (ECL) as part of the investigation, the Interior Minister said. He said several other officials of the airlines have been barred from leaving the country.
It was the maiden flight of the airlines from Karachi to Islamabad after it recently re-launched operations after years of suspension due to financial constraints.
All 127 passengers and the crew aboard the local private Bhoja airlines Boeing-737 were killed in the crash, confirmed local Civil Aviation Authority. The plane was coming from the port city of Karachi to Islamabad.
Body parts of over 120 victims have been shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad for identification, reported local media.
Special information counters have been set up at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport and PIMS to facilitate the relatives.
Officials from the country's National Database and Registration Authority are present in the hospital to help in the identification of the bodies. DNA tests are also being carried out for identification as most of the bodies are mutilated and difficult to be identified.
The state-owned Pakistan International Airlines and Bhoja airlines had arranged flights for the relatives to airlift them from Karachi.
Hospital sources said that 63 bodies including bodies of four kids have been identified and 53 of them have been handed over to relatives.
The investigation team also started inquiry into the crash and members of the team have arrived at the site.
Local media reported that Boeing company will also send officials to Pakistan to assist the investigation.
Officials and residents said that the wreckage of the crashed plane was spread over nearly one kilometer area.
President Asif Ali Zardari had ordered inquiry into the second worst air crash in Pakistan in less than two years and the report be submitted to the presidency, presidential spokesman said.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik and aviation officials said that bad weather could be the major cause of the crash. Islamabad had been receiving heavy rains and strong wind coupled with thunders and lightening when the plane came down.
Malik told reporters that action would be taken against those who had given clearance to the pilot to land at Islamabad airport.
Aviation sources said that a black box flight recorder from the plane has been recovered by search teams. Recovery of the black box has raised hopes of understanding what really caused the crash.
The data recorder is in the custody of the Capital Development Authority and will be handed over to Civil Aviation Authority for investigation, officials said.
All records of control tower and radar systems at the Islamabad airport were sealed to listen to the conversation between the pilot and aviation officials, they said.
The Bhoja Airlines officials claimed that the plane Boeing-737 was fit for flight and aviation officials said the plane was over 30 years old.
The crash has raised many questions and local media has started debates as to why the plane was given permission to take off from Karachi and to land in Islamabad in bad weather.
The government has put name of the owner of the airlines on the Exit Control List (ECL) as part of the investigation, the Interior Minister said. He said several other officials of the airlines have been barred from leaving the country.
It was the maiden flight of the airlines from Karachi to Islamabad after it recently re-launched operations after years of suspension due to financial constraints.
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