PAKISTAN: Grief spreads over Islamabad's main hospital as weeping relatives arrive to claim remains of their loved ones killed in a plane crash that claimed 127 lives

Record ID: 574101

  • Title: PAKISTAN: Grief spreads over Islamabad's main hospital as weeping relatives arrive to claim remains of their loved ones killed in a plane crash that claimed 127 lives
  • Date: 22nd April 2012
  • Summary: ISLAMABAD , PAKISTAN (APRIL 21, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PAKISTAN INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES PEOPLE SITTING UNDER AWNING IN COMPOUND OF HOSPITAL BANNER READING: "O Allah! Grant patience to the families of those killed in the plane crash" VARIOUS OF VAN BRINGING IN COFFINS FOR DEAD BODIES PEOPLE CROWDING AROUND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT RESCUE WORKERS CARRYING COFFINS INTO HOSPITAL DEAD BODIES BEING BROUGHT OUT OF HOSPITAL IN COFFINS CLOSE VIEW OF COFFIN RELATIVES STANDING AROUND BODY COFFIN WITH "BODY NO.140. MOHAMMAD ISHAQ" WRITTEN ON IT VARIOUS OF WOMEN WEEPING MAN LOOKING AT LIST OF CASUALTIES CLOSE OF LIST (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) SAFDAR IQBAL, WHO HAD COME TO VISIT A PATIENT IN THE HOSPITAL, SAYING: "This is a very painful time for all of us. It is a big tragedy for everyone. We need to do something to prevent such incidents. Of course we should pray, but the government should take some steps to prevent this from happening again. Concerned organisations and the public should also take notice." PEOPLE LOOKING AT DEAD BODY INSIDE COFFIN POLICE PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM GOING INTO EMERGENCY WARD RESCUE WORKERS BRINGING DEAD BODIES OUT OF HOSPITAL
  • Embargoed: 7th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan, Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Accidents
  • Reuters ID: LVA2ZEHZSLHDV8Z8WAZWE8GEE5U6
  • Story Text: Grieving relatives who arrived in Islamabad on Saturday (April 21) to claim the remains of loved ones at a local hospital expressed grief and anger over the plane crash that claimed 127 lives.
    Many of the family members gathered at the Institute of Medical Sciences had flown up from Karachi on Saturday morning for the heartbreaking task of identifying victims.
    Women and men sobbed openly and pushed reporters away.
    Family members tried to peer into wooden coffins labelled with names of bodies that had been identified by hospital and rescue authorities.
    "This is a very painful time for all of us. It is a big tragedy for everyone. We need to do something to prevent such incidents. Of course we should pray, but the government should take some steps to prevent this from happening again. Concerned organisations and the public should also take notice," said Safdar Iqbal who had come to visit a patient in the hospital.
    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.
    Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani also visited the hospital to condole the bereaved families.
    Pakistani officials on Saturday promised a full investigation into the crash of a domestic flight that killed 127 people, saying they were examining all possibilities, from a technical fault, to the age of the Boeing 737, and to sabotage.
    The Boeing 737-200 was more than 27 years old, according to AviationSafety.net.
    Interior Minister Rehamn Malik said the owner of Bhoja Air, Farooq Bhoja, had been barred from leaving the country to ensure his cooperation with the investigation.
    Bhoja Air started flights in 1993 but suspended operations eight years later because of financial problems. It resumed domestic flights only last month.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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