Images from The Nation Thailand/ANN.
BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Thai Pol Lt Gen Trirong Phiwpaen, commander of the Police Forensic Science Office, revealed on Saturday the progress of the identification of the nine people killed in a small-plane crash in Bang Pakong, Chachoengsao province, on Thursday.
Trirong said officers have now been able to identify the four Thai deceased, including the pilot and co-pilot, along with two crew members.
This is because all four of them have clear fingerprint records in the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) of the Police Forensic Science Office, which includes hand and foot examinations.
The identification is now more than 50% complete. As for DNA collection, it is currently being examined from human body parts sent to the Police General Hospital's forensic medicine department.
It is expected that on Monday the results of the identification of the remaining deceased will be gradually obtained.
Currently, the relatives of the five Chinese passengers are being contacted to verify and confirm their identities.
"The work was quite difficult because the number of body parts sent, which was more than 90 pieces. Therefore, the officers had to take time to examine and confirm the DNA results found. The progress of the identification process will be announced on Monday," Trirong said.
Pol Maj Gen Supichai Limsiwawong, commander of the Police General Hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine, said the bodies of the four deceased Thais whose identities have been verified could not be handed over to their relatives because they are in the process of examining the DNA of each body part to match the DNA of the relatives that was previously collected.
Since there were a large number of body parts found at the scene, the officers had to examine every piece and arrange them in the correct places as much as possible.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, the Cessna Caravan C208B aircraft flight TFT 209 operated by Thai Flying Service lost contact with air traffic control centre and disappeared from radar after departing from Suvarnabhumi Airport in the capital Bangkok. - The Nation Thailand/ANN
