PLANE CRASH: PROCESSING OF VICTIMS' REMAINS IN PROGRESS

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The management of the bodies of the victims of the Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) plane crash on Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE) near Bandar Elmina, Shah Alam yesterday, is now being carried out to enable the next of kin to claim the remains by the respective family members.

On the second day of the investigation, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the process involving the identification of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests from the human remains is expected to be completed as early as Monday and a total of 22 relatives have provided DNA samples to match.

When met at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) today, Razarudin said the process carried out at the Forensic Department of HTAR, needed some time to complete because it involved DNA matching of about 200 pieces of remains.

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As this news is written, the authorities, especially forensic officers, are still struggling to complete the process of managing the bodies of all the victims.

Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan is still in a meeting at the HTAR Forensic Department to find out the status and latest developments in the process of identifying the crash victims.

This afternoon, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when visiting the families of the victims at the compound of HTAR Forensic Department said the post-mortem and DNA test detection of the 10 victims would be speeded up to facilitate the management of the remains.

Anwar also expressed the government's readiness to provide the assistance needed by the victims' families to ease the family's burden, especially those who do not have permanent employment.

Also visiting the relatives and families of the victims at HTAR were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the ill-fated plane had been sent to the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) early this morning for analysis.

AAIB under the ministry, has been ordered to conduct an immediate and detailed investigation before the results of the investigation are announced as soon as possible.

Former Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chairman Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman in an interview on Bernama Radio said the CVR investigation is expected to take a week if there is no internal damage to the aircraft's black box.

Meanwhile, exits and entrances to the Elmina Interchange in both directions of GCE which were closed following the crash yesterday, have been reopened to highway users since 3.40 pm.

Prolintas Group (Prolintas) in a statement said the re-opened route involves the entrance from Shah Alam to Elmina West, and the entrance to Elmina East from Rawang, including the exit to Shah Alam.

However, one of the two lanes of the road from Elmina West to Rawang is still closed for the authorities to carry out investigations at the scene.

Yesterday, 10 men comprising six passengers and two crew members, while two civilians, a motorcyclist and an e-hailing driver, who were passing by the scene, were confirmed dead when a plane on a flight from Langkawi to Subang crashed on GCE near Bandar Elmina.

-- BERNAMA