Remains of plane crash victims shifted to PIMS for DNA testing

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Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital, as relatives of the victims of the ill-fated PIA PK-661 were gathered for the identification of the bodies of their loved ones.

The remains of all victims of the ill-fated PIA PK-661 have been shifted to PIMS Hospital for DNA testing, as only six bodies were identified and the remaining 42 bodies did not recognizable.

Ever since the report regarding the air crash broke, the members of the bereaved families began arriving at the PIMS hospital, as they had been informed that the DNA testing was to take place there.

DNA samples were being taken at PIMS Hospital where help desks were set up at the hospital for the facilitation of the families’ members of the victims.

Talking to Pakistan Today, PIMS Administrator Dr. Zafar Altaf said that all the 47 bodies have been brought to the PIMS, where their DNA test would be conducted.

He said that in its first phase, 23 bodies reached Islamabad, via three Army helicopters and the remaining 24 bodies were shifted in the second phase.

Six people have been already identified through fingerprints, while families of the deceased have been directed to submit their DNA samples for testing.

Sources in the hospital told this scribe that the process of identification is underway and the body of Asma Adil, an airhostess, had been identified and had been received by her husband for burial rites.

Talking to the media, Minister of State for Capital Administration, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the remains of national music icon Junaid Jamshed had not yet been identified, adding that so far, 25 relatives of the victims had given blood samples.

Hamyun Jamshed, brother of Junaid Jamshed, also gave blood sample for the identification of his brother, because only parents or siblings could give blood samples.

Sources in the hospitals told this scribe that the DNA tests would not only be conducted at PIMS laboratory, but would also be carried out at three to four laboratories so as to avoid confusion.

Dr. Tariq said that the bodies of the victims cannot be handed to the bereaved families immediately as the identification process through DNA test may take six to eight days. Hence, he requested cooperation from the bereaved families.

The identification of the six passengers through finger printing  took place at the Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad. The six victims were Farhad Aziz, son of Shahzada Azeez ur Rehman, resident of Shahi Qila, Chitral; Mohammad Nawaz Khan, son of Hamti Khan, resident of Goldor, Chitral; Mohammad Takbeer, son of Khushiani Khan, belonged to Bakarabad, Chitral; Ahsan Ghaffar, son of Abdul Ghaffar, resident of Rawalpindi; and Sami Ullah, son of Ahsanullah, resident of Mohallah Nizamabad, Block 53, Derea Ghazi Khan.

 

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a temporary helipad has been established at Islamabad Sports Complex, from where the corpses would be taken to PIMS and Rawalpindi’s Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for proper DNA testing.

Ghaibana Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer) of the victims of the ill-fated plane was offered in PIMS. Former renowned cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq, Zamurd Khan, doctors, lawyers, relatives of the victims and people at large participated in the funeral prayer.

The PIA plane, carrying 47, people crashed Wednesday on a domestic flight from the mountainous northern city of Chitral to Islamabad, killing all on board.

The plane took off from Chitral around 3:50PM and PIA said the plane crashed at 1642 local time (1142 GMT) in the Havelian area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 125 km north of Islamabad.