LAGOS, July 25, (THEWILL) – A total of 152 bodies of all victims of the fatal Dana airliner crash of 3rd June 2012 have been identified, renowned pathologist and vice chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. John Obafunwa has said.
Obafunwa, who was speaking on Wednesday during an inquest into the crash, told a Lagos Coroner, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, that his department would release results of the DNA tests on the remaining victims next week, after completing a final editing of post-mortem reports on the bodies.
“I am expecting that the DNA results will be finalised next week,” he said. “I will say we have completed our job. On the average, 80 per cent of the job is ready.”
Led in evidence by Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran, a counsel from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Obafunwa recalled the grisly sight of the polythene-bagged bodies when the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH) took custody of them.
“Sixty per cent of the crash victims had multiple injuries, while about 20 per cent had multiple injuries and smoke inhalation,” he revealed.
“Fifty bodies were fairly complete; about 100 victims were burnt while there were also charred bodies. There were bodies with recognisable heads; and some, their limbs had been chopped off. When the body bags of the victims were opened at the morgue, some of them contained bone fragments while some had body parts.”
The inquest also featured questions to Obafunwa from lawyers, including former president of the West African Bar Association (WABA), Femi Falana (SAN), Anthony Idigbe (SAN), Obi Okwusogu (SAN). Officers of security and rescue agencies also gave evidences.
Mr. Adebiyi Babatunde Razaq, assistant zonal coordinator of the southwestern arm of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told the coroner that the agency’s initial rescue efforts while scuppered by difficulty in accessing the scene of the crash due to presence of a crowd of onlookers, as well as the fire that followed the crash.
“We had challenge in getting access to crash site,” he said. “The road was narrowed. We had to enter through the rail lines. The crowd and the road access were the challenges we faced. The equipment we brought could also not get to the crash site.”
He also disclosed, shockingly, that NEMA had just one rescue aircraft for such a purpose as the air mishap; and the Abuja-confined craft is supposed to serve the entire country.
Another testifier, Police Detective Obono Ubi refuted earlier claims that rescue workers arrived the scene of the crash promptly. He maintained that the fire fighters did not arrive at the site of the crash until, at least, two hours after the tragedy.
Similarly, he rebuffed claims that the fire was put out within 15 minutes, saying it was a process that lasted some four hours
“For over one hour, nobody could penetrate the fire,” Ubi recollected. “If the Fire Brigade was under Police custody and we had fire-fighting equipment, we could have acted faster. It was not until after two hours that the fire fighters came.”
The ongoing inquest into the Dana airliner crash — which resulted in the death of all 153 people aboard and at least six residents of a building in Iju-Ishaga, Agege — continues on Thursday.
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