DNA matching may take days

 

‘Keep calm, dear brother’: Anwar (left) consoling a victim’s family member when he visited the grieving families at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang. — Bernama

KLANG: A gruesome task lies ahead for medical officers at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) as the bodies of the 10 who died in the Shah Alam plane crash wait to be identified.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, who was at the hospital to meet the families, said DNA testing was now being carried out and it would take time.

“A total of 22 DNA samples have been taken (from the families). As for the remains, there are some with only heads, the body parts and some in pieces,” he told reporters outside the hospital’s Forensic Department after a briefing with the families.

“According to the forensic unit, there are more than 200 pieces of remains. It will take at least until Monday for the DNA testing process to be completed,” he said.

Although the Chemistry Department has said remains can be claimed on Monday, Razarudin said it could actually take longer than that.

On the burial processes, he said the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) was ready to transport the victims’ remains to their respective homes and would assist with funeral rites.

Assistance on the way: Razarudin giving a briefing to the families at the Forensic Department of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang. — Bernama“We have 10 vans on standby from JAIS and police will escort the families,” he said

At about 1pm yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim paid a brief visit to the hospital where he was seen consoling the grieving families.

He was accompanied by his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, caretaker Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

Anwar said assistance would be provided to the families, including with managing the remains and accommodation of the next-of-kin.

The government will also provide assistance for the families, especially those without a stable income.

“We would like to express our condolences to the families and we hope they will be patient. No one expected this (to happen). Now, we hope the forensic and DNA (matching) process can be expedited,” he said.

“On the part of the federal and state governments, we will help reduce the burden of the families,” he said. - Star