Chopper crash: Human remains found in sea sent for DNA tests
MUMBAI: DNA SAMPLES OF THE RELATIVES OF THE TWO MISSING CREW MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO IDENTIFY THE SIXTH VICTIM IN SATURDAY’S CRASH
The Coast Guard said it has recovered some human remains on Monday as well while carrying out the search operation for missing crew members of the Pawan Hans helicopter which had crashed off the Mumbai coast on Saturday.
The recovered remains were beyond recognition and have been sent for DNA analysis, a Coast Guard official said.
“As per our information, the ONGC deployed more divers to trace the missing crew members. Some body parts were found on Sunday while more were traced this (Monday) morning,” he said.
The remains have been taken to the RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Juhu. The DNA samples of relatives of the missing crew members have been taken to identify body parts, he said, adding that more informaThe tion will be provided later.
Forensic experts have said only a DNA test can confirm whether the body parts belong to VK Bindu Lal Babu, deputy general manager, ONGC, or Captain VC Katoch, the co-pilot.
In their official statement released on Sunday, ONGC spokesperson said bodies of PN Srinivasan, R Saravanan, Jose Antony, Pankaj Garg and Captain Ramesh Ohatkar (pilot of the helicopter) have been identified. “The identification process for the sixth body is still on,” the statement read.
Coast Guard had earlier traced the Aircraft Voice Data Recorder (VDR) of the helicopter while the recovery of the remaining debris was in progress.
The helicopter with seven people on board, including five officers of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and two pilots, crashed off the Mumbai coast minutes after it took off for the state-owned company’s oil installation in the Arabian sea on Saturday.
Five bodies were recovered two days ago, the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy had said.
The ONGC has key oil and gas fields off the Mumbai coast and Pawan Hans helicopters routinely ferry company employees and officers to the oil installations that are situated as far as 160km from the coastline.
The field in the offshore include Mumbai High, country’s largest oil field, and Bassein fields, the largest gas field.