Indonesian among 153 crash victims

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 08/22/2008 10:18 AM  |  Headlines

Officials confirmed Thursday afternoon the death of an Indonesian in Wednesday's Spanair JK 5022 airliner crash.

The Indonesian, identified only as a male, is among the 153 passengers who perished in the accident; Spain's worst aviation accident in the last 25 years.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the details of the victim would only be released after contact between the Indonesian Embassy in Madrid and the victim's family has been established.

"Based on the passenger list, we can confirm that one Indonesian male was involved in the tragedy. We are, however, unable to release his name and identity details, as we would need to contact the family first," Faizasyah said.

He added that the Indonesian Embassy in Madrid had managed to locate the victim's family, but was unable to say if any contact had been made.

The 166-passenger MD-82 airliner, en route from Madrid and bound for popular tourist destination the Canary Islands, crashed upon takeoff from the Madrid Barajas Airport.

Nineteen passengers reportedly survived the crash.

In Madrid, distraught relatives of the 153 victims of the disaster struggled Thursday to identify burned body parts as investigators scoured the wreckage for clues.

Cranes lifted debris from a field next to the airport runway as Spanish media highlighted the financial problems and cost-cutting measures carried out by the budget carrier, AFP reported.

Thousands of people held silent tributes to the victims in Madrid and other cities while three days of national mourning has been declared.

"Inferno at Barajas," was the headline used by newspapers to describe the crash of the jet, carrying 162 passengers -- including two babies and 20 other children -- and 10 crew on Wednesday afternoon.

Having returned to the terminal once because of a technical problem, the jet was taking off for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands when it veered to the right of the runway before breaking up in flames.

Relatives and friends, many brought on a special flight from Las Palmas, were taken to the makeshift morgue to identify the remains, accompanied by psychologists.

One Red Cross psychologist described the atmosphere was "calm" but the identification process was slow.

One of the 19 survivors recalled seeing bodies scattered everywhere as she escaped the burning wreckage.

"I lifted my head and all I saw were scattered bodies," Ligia Palomino, a doctor, told El Pais newspaper.

Palomino said she was only semi-conscious after the crash but woke up when a fuel tank exploded.

The authorities did not immediately confirm media reports that the left engine was on fire during takeoff. Some experts said the fire in the engine may not be enough to explain the accident.

Spanish media said the pilot had earlier signaled a malfunction in an exterior temperature gauge.

Spanair, Spain's second largest airline, which is owned by Scandinavian carrier SAS, recently proposed shedding almost a quarter of its 4,000 staff because of the fuel price rise crisis and reduced demand. Its pilots had threatened a strike over conditions.

A spokeswoman at Barajas airport meanwhile said operations returned to normal on Thursday after delays and cancellations. Spanair released the list of passengers late Wednesday, but not their nationalities.

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