Pretoria — The South African Government has dispatched a team of six pathologists to Douala, Cameroon to assist with the victim identification process following the recent Kenya Airline's crash which killed 114 passengers and crew members.

"The team of pathologists, led by South African Police Services Expert Inspector Leone Ras, left on Saturday and is expected to begin its work today (Sunday)," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Sunday.

In this regard, the South African team of pathologists is expected to assist the Cameroonian and Kenyan authorities with victim verification as part of its efforts to help families of the victims identify their loved ones and to find closure.

"The process, initiated by South Africa's Ambassador to Cameroon Dr SS Ripinga in consultation with the Cameroonian authorities, is a step in the process of repatriating the mortal remains of all victims, including South Africans who were on board, back to their home countries to be laid to rest," said the statement.

The wreckage of Kenyan Airways flight KQ 507 was found in a mangrove swamp 20 kilometres south-east of Douala in Cameroon on Sunday evening after it had taken off Saturday during a midnight storm and crashed.

The plane had 114 people from at least 23 countries on board, including seven South Africans.

The government, the statement said reiterates President Thabo Mbeki's message of condolences to all families who lost their loved ones in this tragic incident.

"As the Cameroonian and Kenyan authorities begin the process of retrieving the mortal remains of the victims we can only imagine the pain and sorrow of the families of these unfortunate victims.

"Accordingly, South Africa extends its heartfelt condolences to the Cameroonian and Kenyan authorities and all victims of the crash including our own, South African families who lost their loved ones in this tragic incident.

"We express our confidence that both the Kenyan and Cameroonian civil aviation authorities will investigate the matter to the fullest to determine the cause of the accident," said President Mbeki last week.

Cameroonian authorities have set up two emergency centres, one in Yaounde and the other in Douala, to coordinate search operations.

A crisis centre has also been established at Kenya Airways headquarters at Nairobi airport.

A local passenger information centre has been opened at the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi and an international contact number has been set up on: +27 11 2071100.