- Title: PAKISTAN: Grieving relatives arrive in Islamabad to identify crash victims
- Date: 22nd April 2012
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) FAROOQ SATTAR, A PARLIAMENTARIAN FROM KARACHI WHO HAD ACCOMPANIED THE VICTIMS' RELATIVES TO ISLAMABAD, SAYING: "Relatives of the passengers who were killed have come to Islamabad with us. This is a big tragedy." A WEEPING WOMAN WALKING THROUGH CROWD A RED-EYED MAN WALKING THROUGH CROWD RELATIVES EMBRACING MAN MOHAMMAD KHURSHEED, WHO LOST A BROTHER-IN-LAW IN THE CRASH, STANDING WITH HIS WIFE (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) MOHAMMAD KHURSHEED WHOSE BROTHER-IN-LAW WAS ON THE CRASHED AIRLINER, SAYING: "There is nothing at the crash site, everything is scattered all over. We cannot bear to look at what they have in the hospital. There are burnt-out dead bodies. The body parts that have been retrieved are totally burnt." WEEPING RELATIVES WOMAN WEEPING
- Embargoed: 7th May 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Pakistan, Pakistan
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Disasters
- Reuters ID: LVA2HKCGDYZRGK6OMM02S8R1J3U7
- Story Text: More than 100 distraught relatives flew to Islamabad from Karachi on Saturday (April 21) to claim the remains of their loved ones who had perished in a plane crash near the capital city a day earlier.
The Boeing 737, operated by local airline Bhoja Air, was flying to the capital from Pakistan's biggest city Karachi when it crashed in bad weather into wheat fields around 5 miles (about 9 km) from the airport on Friday (April 20).
Disaster management authorities said there were no survivors among the 127 people on board the ill-fated flight.
Police struggled to keep order, trying to keep television cameras and curious onlookers away from the distressed relatives.
A woman wailed uncontrollably as a man leading her through the crowd called out, "This is my daughter. Her husband was on board the flight."
Two politicians from Karachi escorted weeping relatives through throngs of waiting people and media.
"Relatives of the passengers who were killed have come to Islamabad with us. This is a big tragedy," said Farooq Sattar, a parliamentarian who had travelled with them from Karachi.
Other relatives waited, red-eyed, to receive relatives and acquaintances arriving on the grim mission.
"There is nothing at the crash site, everything is scattered all over. We cannot bear to look at what they have in the hospital. There are burnt-out dead bodies. The body parts that have been retrieved are totally burnt," said Mohammad Khursheed, as he waited for his sister whose husband had been on the flight.
The Boeing 737-200 that crashed was more than 27 years old, according to AviationSafety.net.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said there would be a thorough investigation, adding that the owner of Bhoja Air, Farooq Bhoja, has been prevented from leaving the country to ensure his cooperation with the investigation.
The plane's "black box", which records flight data, was recovered on Friday night, according to rescue authorities. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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