Mangalore Crash: Mass Funeral for 12 Victims Amidst All-faith Prayers
Pics Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SR/SB)
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Mangalore, Jun 2: A mass funeral of 12 unidentified victims of Air India Express plane that crashed at Kenjar near Bajpe Airport on May 22 was held on the banks of Gurupur river at Kuloor on Wednesday June 2.
The bodies were buried will all respects in the presence of the claimants of the unidentified victims. All-faith prayers were performed for the repose of the departed souls by the Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Sikh priests as per request made by the bereaved family members to the district administration.
Minister of state for railways K S Muniyappa and district in-charge minister J Krishna Palemar were among the first to offer flowers as tribute the deceased. Ministers Muniyappa and Palemar consoled the families of the deceased and assured to offer help within their capacities. Survivor of the May 22 air crash Pradeep was also present and paid his tribute to the deceased.
Additional deputy commissioner S A Prabhakar Sharma and district police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh paid tribute to the deceased on behalf of the police department. Speaking to Daijiworld, he said that the bodies were not only charred beyond recognition, but the bones, flesh and blood were in a condition that the margin of success of establishing the identification of the bodies through DNA tests was very low. This made it impossible to draw out DNA reports, he informed.
According to Air India sources, the airlines authorities were in deliberation with its legal advisors and insurers to decide on settlement of compensation to the families of the victims whose identification could not be established through DNA test.
Air India staff placed a wreath as a mark of condolence to their colleague air hostess Sujatha Survase followed by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Mangalore MLA U T Khadar, Congress leader K K Moiddin Bava, Air India senior manager (corporate communications) V Chandrasekar, district health officer Dr Jagannatha, Home Guards commandant Dr Nidarsh Hegde, district medical officer Dr Saroja, Ahmed M of Indian Association of UAE, District Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Pradeep Kumar Kalkura and Harsha, president, District Working Journalists’ Association among others.
Blood samples of 34 claimants did not match DNA of any of the 11 victims during the tests done at Central Forensic Laboratory in Hyderabad while one family refused to take the body though the samples matched. The section 34 of the Disaster Management Act empowers the district administration to decide on disposing of the bodies and mostly it is buried.