Dana crash: DNA test runs into hitches

A week after the ill-fated Dana air crash, only four families have so far made moves to collect bodies of their relations who died in the incident, while nine others have the authorisation to pick up the bodies of their loved ones for burial.

Sunday Independent learnt that the inability of many families to retrieve the corpses of their relations is not unconnected with the protocol involved in the process of identifying the bodies, a situation that has led to Governor Babatunde Fashola slating a meeting with all affected families today (Sunday) at 2.30pm at the Lagos House, Alausa.

The protocol involved in the process of identifying the bodies includes the presentation of two direct relations of each victim which could be parents or direct siblings.

But our correspondent witnessed a situation where some relations claimed some of the victims had no parent and a sibling showed up for the identification process.

A form which had been prepared for the purpose showed columns where two direct relations are to fill their specific data and then a photograph is taken at the centre to be affixed and collated in a file against the victim’s name. “In a situation where a family has more than a victim, the protocol expects that each of the victim would equally have two direct relatives, each identifying them and present themselves for DNA sampling,” explained one of the officials at the collection site.

Our correspondent gathered that there have been arguments between families and officials over the protocol, prompting the stalling of release of even the identifiable corpses for burial. “We are constrained to release more bodies for now because we do not want litigations when we release the wrong bodies or give bodies to wrong family members and so we think the issue would equally form part of the meeting agenda the governor would be discussing with relatives of the victims on Sunday,” a source spoke in confidence.

Also expected to form part of the agenda for discussion with Governor Fashola are issues of the DNA testing, payment of the initial compensation and, more importantly, burial of the charred bodies of victims.

Our correspondent gathered that the autopsy on all the corpses would be completed by mid-week and that there is likelihood that the charred bodies would be given mass burial since they were burnt beyond recognition.

It is however unclear as yet which country the DNA processing and analysis would be carried out and how the cost would be facilitated, but a top medical board meeting which had the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Professor Wale Oke; and Chief Medical Examiner, Professor John Obafunwa, in attendance was ongoing at the time of going to press on Saturday.

The experts are said to be discussing some of these issues which might also form part of the agenda to be relayed to the families when they meet with the governor later today. 

Sunday 10 June 2012

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