Ethiopian Airlines on Tuesday evening flew 64 relatives of victims of Sunday’s plane crash to Addis Ababa to help in identifying the bodies of their kin.
On arrival in Addis, they were received by Ambassador Catherine Mwangi and the Transport Principal Secretary Esther Koimett.
The ET302 flight crashed on Sunday morning just six minutes after take off some 60km southeast of Bole International Airport while heading to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The ill-fated plane had 149 passengers and eight crew members on board, including 32 Kenyans.
The family members are expected to give DNA samples to be matched with those of the deceased.
Due to the impact of the crash and the ensuing fire, identification of some of the victims could take weeks or months and may need to be done via dental records or DNA, an industry expert told Reuters.
The process is expected to take longer because of the more than 30 nationalities on board the flight.
“It’s a difficult moment for the friends and relatives so we are doing our best to provide all the information as we get it,” Koimett said.
Israel and South Africa have also sent forensic experts to help with the identification process.
The government of Kenya and Ethiopian Airlines will cater for all the expenses of the victims’ family members who have traveled to Addis.