DANA Air crash: Management contacts 118 families of victims

DANA Airline spokesman, Mr Tony Usidamen, said on Wednesday in Lagos that its management has made direct contact with 118 families of the victims involved in the crash of June 3. Usidamen, who said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), added that nine embassies had also been contacted for the foreign victims. NAN recalls that DANA Airline plane crashed into residential buildings at Iju-Isaga, Lagos, on June 3, killing all the 153 passengers on board, as well as some residents of the buildings. He said the victims’ families and embassies have been sent letters of condolence and insurance documents, which would facilitate the payment of their compensation. He further disclosed that as of June 25, the company had received completed insurance forms for 34 of the victims, “two of which are members of staff.” The spokesman said investigations into the cause of the accident was still ongoing, adding that management would continue to offer assistance to investigating authorities. “DANA Air shares in the pains of the affected families and continues to offer every form of assistance required by the hospital authorities and overseas laboratories. “We shall ensure the process is completed as soon as possible, so that the families can lay their loved ones to rest,” he said. He added that 98 per cent of DNA samples had been successfully collected and dispatched to a UK laboratory for testing. Usidamen debunked rumours that expatriate members of staff of the airline had left the company’s employment since the incident. “Of the over 450 staff of the airline, most of whom are Nigerians, not one has left the company’s employment,” he said. According to him, some of the expatriate members of staff are among the airline’s officials currently assisting the investigating authorities on the crash. “All DANA Air staff are voluntarily assisting in one way or the other, especially with respect to visiting the affected families and providing information on processing of insurance claims,” he said.