Airbus team examines crash site

An eleven-member team from the Airbus company arrived here on Tuesday from France to assist the Aircraft Accident and Investigation Board (AAIB) in the investigation into the crash of flight PK-8303.
The team visited the site of the crash and reviewed the evidence in the presence of members from PIA's Flight Safety and Engineering Departments, a PIA spokesman said.
The spokesman said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted a transparent investigation for which all government resources would be provided to the investigators.
The investigation team would not include individuals from any relevant agency so that they do not influence the process in any way, he said and added that the relevant agencies would only provide information or documents or records that were sought.
He said that Pakistan wanted to bring the investigation report to light in a short period of time to determine the cause of the crash.
He urged the people not to believe in the fake news that was being spread on the social media.
Earlier, the Airbus company in its official accident information transmission said that the aircraft, registration number AP-BLD, manufacturer serial number 2274, had logged around 47,100 flight hours and 25,860 flight cycles till May 22, and it was powered by CFM56-5B4/P engines. The Airbus company, in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is bound to provide full technical assistance to the Bureau d'Enquete et d'Analyse of France and to PIA.
Out of the total of 97 bodies, 41 have been identified and handed over to the heirs. PIA on the special instruction of the PM has been dispatching bodies to their hometowns and so far four have been taken to Lahore and three to Islamabad.
The PIA spokesman said that 32 family members of the victims as well as 13 residents of Jinnah Garden who were displaced after the air crash had been provided accommodation at the Qasr-e-Naz and PIA airport hotel.
He said that PIA had also established a 24-hour emergency response centre to facilitate the family members of the victims. The spokesman said that the airline had also started sending compensation money of Rs1 million per victim to the bereaved families.