The East African Standard (Nairobi)
Alex Chamwada
13 May 2007
Douala — The crash scene for the KQ 507 flight has been closed. It is being disinfected from the air since it is considered a health risk.
Cameroonian authorities said most of the remains of the victims had been removed and they did not expect more.
The remains have been taken to various morgues, but relatives are yet to access the morgues. One of the Kenyan doctors involved in the handling of the bodies says he was allowed to visit the morgues.
"There is so much bureaucracy here and it takes long before anything is approved," the doctor who sought anonymity said. "There is too much speculation and the relatives are anxious to see the bodies."
But he explained that the relatives would not be allowed to view the bodies until DNA tests are complete. The Chief Pathologist, Dr J Njue has returned to Nairobi and two more pathologists will arrive in Douala to assist in the process.
The consultancy firm contracted to do the DNA tests, Blake Emergency Services, interviewed the next of kin and took mouth swabs. The samples will be taken to the UK for processing, thus the identification of the bodies could take a while.
Some have been advised to return to their countries then return to Douala when the results are complete.
"This is terrible, we have never seen anything like this. What will I tell our people when I go back home without the body?" said Mr Benard Kadurenge who lost a brother in the crash.
Bureaucracy
He insisted that he must visit the crash scene. The crash victims' families have been told to wait for protective gear from Kenya, before they can visit the scene.
Meanwhile, rumours that the pilot defied bad weather have been dismissed.
"It is true that there was a storm, but the pilot waited for it to subside before taking off. Let us be patient and wait for the investigation," a Kenyan investigator said.
The investigator said such an inquiry would look into three areas: the man, the machine and the environment. The man refers to all human beings involved in the flight including the pilots and flight engineers. The machine is the aircraft and will involve a check on its maintenance, design and history. The environment includes the airport, weather conditions and operating system.
Members to the commission of inquiry are yet to be named. The inquiry into the Abidjan KQ crash that occurred in 2000, took four years and the black boxes were examined in Canada.
Cameroon officials disorganised
Boeing aircraft manufacturers are key in this investigation and have visited the crash site. The most important component that is yet to be recovered is the cockpit voice recorder.
Some of the Kenyan officials here and the next of kin have been feeling dejected because of the disharmony with Cameroonian officials. Other than language barrier, it is not easy to access information. Equipment that would have speeded up the rescue is also not available. This includes heavy-duty pumps as well as protective gear, which have had to be transported from Kenya.
When the Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer, Mr Titus Naikuni visited the scene, he was disappointed by the disorganisation. He was kept at the Douala Airport for more than an hour before Cameroonian officials received him.
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