PIA crash provisional report to be released on June 22: Minister

ISLAMABAD Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar on Thursday said the provisional investigation report of PIA airplane crash will be brought before the cabinet and public on 22nd June.

Addressing a media briefing, the federal minister said the investigation process will be free, fair and transparent and without any influence. He said the report will not give reprieve to any person responsible for the incident.

The minister said the investigation board has the authority to include any stakeholder during investigation. He said recorders for voice conversation and data have been recovered and will be sent to France by an Airbus team for decoding and further analysis.

Ghulam Sarwar said 51 bodies have been identified so far after their DNA tests were held and handed over to their relatives. He said remaining bodies are in various morgues and are being DNA tested.

He said the government will give a compensation of one million rupees to relatives of each deceased and the insurance money will be in addition to this amount. He said 12 to 15 houses were badly damaged when the plane hit them, while 97 out of 99 people were killed in the accident.

The minister said he held a teleconference with PIA management immediately after the plane crash.  He said Airbus team had reached Karachi on 26th May and are collecting evidence to help in the air crash investigation.