The Lebanese government is planning to use French police reports rather than actual human remains to recognize the deaths of some 19 Lebanese nationals who died in a plane crash in Africa earlier this year, according to an official press briefing Thursday. The announcement has sparked intense debate among the Lebanese families of the victims from the July 24 Air Algerie plane crash in Mali, with some insisting on the recovery of remains before an official death declaration is made and others calling on the government to announce a long-awaited official day of mourning to provide some closure to those grieving the tragedy.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam is still discussing the issue with Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi and an official declaration of death is pending a judicial decision, Haitham Jomaa, the director-general of the Department of Emigrants at the Foreign Ministry, said at Thursday’s briefing, which was attended by many of the victims’ families.
However, it appears that the current course of action is to officially declare the deaths after France has passed on its report on the crash, which killed all 116 people on board.
“With regard to validating the deaths, we will seek permission from the French judiciary to use the French police report and deliver it to the Lebanese judiciary,” Secretary-General of the Higher Relief Committee Maj. Gen. Mohammad Khair said at the briefing. “We have agreed with Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi that this report will be used to validate the deaths.”
The news prompted an outcry among some of those present.
“I can’t declare my brother dead before his remains come back to me,” Fadia Rustom, whose twin brother Fadi Rustom was onboard the plane, told The Daily Star. “I can barely believe it myself and I won’t believe it until something of his is returned.”
Rustom said she opposed any governmental recognition of the death before either his remains or his belongings are retrieved.
But others expressed doubts over whether that condition could ever be fulfilled.
“What if they can’t retrieve any of his remains?” asked Loraine al-Hajj, wife of fellow crash victim Joseph al-Hajj. “What would we do then?”
“Not all the families want to wait for the remains of the loved ones before an official declaration is issued,” added Faisal al-Akhdar, who has stuck a poster on the window of his car describing his son Mohammad al-Akhdar’s “martyrdom at the hands of emigration.”
“We just want to end this misery,” he said.
France announced three days of mourning two days after flight AH5017 was known to have crashed, and many here have been clamoring for Lebanese officials to announce the same, something that has been delayed by the lack of official recognition of the deaths.
The reason behind this lies in the slow process of identifying those on board. Not a single whole body was recovered from the crash, Jomaa said. Instead, forensic experts in Paris – where everything found from the crash was taken – are working with 1,161 pieces of human remains that had been heavily degraded in the fire that occurred when the plane hit the ground at high speed.
The results are expected by mid-January, Jomaa said.
The director-general said that some personal belongings have been collected and “after DNA tests are conducted the families will be invited to the crash site to retrieve them.”
Mystery has surrounded the exact cause of the crash, which occurred after the plane changed course to avoid a storm.
However, Jomaa refuted reports that poor weather was behind the incident, saying harsh weather conditions were routine throughout the year. “The cabin crew was well equipped and fully aware of the climate before flying.”
Citing investigation reports, he said that at 1:45 p.m. the plane’s engine began to slow down, the automation handle faltered and the entire autopilot system crashed. The technical failure led the plane to immediately plummet to the ground.
“Investigations are currently looking into the cause behind the motor’s deceleration, as well as the autopilot failure,” Jomaa said, adding that officials would be considering the possibility of a failed hijack attempt.
Friday 10 October 2014
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Oct-10/273553-government-to-declare-air-algerie-deaths-without-bodies.ashx
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