Bodies of 92 PIA crash victims identified

Bodies of 89 victims have been handed over to thier family members, says Murad

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Wednesday said 92 victims of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK- 8303 crash have been identified.

"Bodies of 89 victims have been handed over to their family members, 53 victims were identified through DNA testing. Tests of three bodies are being conducted again for verification," said the chief minister.

He added that two bodies are in Chhipa's morgue whereas six are in Edhi's.

CM Murad directed the administration to cooperate with family members of the victims of the plane crash in every possible manner.

A day earlier on June 2, the Aircraft Accident and Investigation Board (AAIB) expanded its investigation in the May 22 crash PIA flight in Karachi and summoned the duty roster of the air traffic control (ATC) staff.

Airbus experts began decoding the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the ill-fated A320 plane at BEA Air Accident Agency in Le Bourget near Paris. Both recorders of the black box were being decoded in the presence of the head of the Pakistani investigating team.



According to the sources, the AAIB had expanded the scope of the investigation. In this context, the investigation team had started gathering evidence at Lahore airport. The record of the conversation between the air traffic controller and the captain at Lahore had also been obtained.

The sources said that the investigation team had also sought last month’s duty roster of the air traffic controller from the Civil Aviation Authority officials in Karachi after it emerged that there was a shortage of staff.

Black boxes opened

The head of the investigating team, Air Commodore Usman Ghani is in France, where the French experts started decoding the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder of the ill-fated plane.

The black boxes reached France on Monday accompanied by a two-member Pakistani investigation team. Air Commodore Ghani also met representatives of the Airbus and engine manufacturer company CFM Engines.

The A320 operated by the PIA crashed short of the runway on May 22, killing 97 people on board after the pilots reported the loss of both engines. Two passengers survived and there reports of significant damage on the ground.