PIA crash victims’ bodies brought to Islamabad for DNA testing

A tragedy befell on 47 families yesterday as a Pakistan International (PIA) plane carrying 47 people crashed near Abbottabad, killing all on-board. The PK-661 flight was coming from Chitral to Islamabad when the plane’s engines malfunctioned and it went down before reaching its destination.

The plane fell in a mountainous region, after which it caught fire due to which most of the bodies were badly charred by the time they were recovered from the plane. According to eye witnesses’ reports, not even a single body was intact, due to which it was impossible to recognize the victims by their physical appearance.

“The bodies were burnt so badly we could not recognise whether they were women or men,” a villager in his thirties, who declined to give his name, told AFP.

“We put into sacks whatever we could find… and carried them down to the ambulance.”

Now the victims’ bodies are being brought to Islamabad, where they will be testing through DNA samples, to ascertain who the bodies belong to. Already more than 20 bodies have been brought to PIMS hospital where the tests will be conducted. The bodies were brought on three Army helicopters.

For the DNA testing, authorities have made arrangements at Islamabad’s PIMS hospital where victims’ families have also gathered. Help desks have been set up at the hospital to assist the family members in collecting the samples.

According to state minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the results of the DNA tests may take six to eight days. He also told the press that the remains of Islamic preacher Junaid Jamshed have still not been identified.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=54219

Posted by fatimaarshad on Dec 8 2016. Filed under Latest News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.