34 bodies of PIA flight crash victims identified

The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has started receiving DNA reports of 48 victims of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight which crashed near Abbottabad on December 7, and so far bodies of 34 persons have been identified.

PIMS Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram was quoted by the Dawn, as saying that 13 bodies are still to be identified as some of the DNA reports were still under process.

He said it has been decided that bodies will be sent to Chitral on a C-130 after receiving the reports of the remaining victims which have to be identified.

Dr. Akram said the rest of the reports will come by Friday.

Earlier on Tuesday 12 bodies of the victims were handed over to their families.

"There are eight bodies in Polyclinic and the remaining are in PIMS. We expect that the operation will be completed by Friday," Dr. Akram said.

Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has said that arrangements have been made to transport the bodies to their homes.

Dr. Chaudhary said the administration tried its best to complete the identification process as soon as possible.

Asserting that the bodies could not have been recognised from the face, he said other methods had to be used to identify them.

Dr. Chaudhary said residence, meals and other facilities is being provided to the relatives of the victims while they are in Islamabad.