UAE | General

DNA tests to identify helicopter crash victims

Authorities are still trying to identify the seven victims of Wednesday night's Petrofac helicopter crash off the coast of Dubai.

  • By Wafa Issa, Staff Reporter and Megan Hirons, Staff Photographer
  • Published: 00:20 September 5, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • The Sharjah offices of Petrofac. No Petrofac personnel are among the victims, the company says.
  • Image Credit: Megan Hirons/Gulf News
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Dubai/Sharjah: Authorities are still trying to identify the seven victims of Wednesday night's helicopter crash on a drilling rig in the Rashid oilfield off the coast of Dubai.

The Aerogulf 212 Bell chopper carrying two crew members and five passengers clipped a crane at 8.23pm on the Resilient Maersk jack-up rig during takeoff and burst into a fireball. The rig also caught fire during the crash, but the blaze was quickly put out.

The victims were a Briton, American, Filipino, Venezuelan, Pakistani and two Indian nationals, according to the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority. Dubai Police confirmed the craft was being piloted by the British national.

"Their bodies are charred beyond recognition and we need to carry out a DNA test to confirm their identification," Brigadier Abdul Jalil Mahdi, Deputy Director of Dubai Police's Criminal Investigation Department for Preventive Security told Gulf News.

More information

A statement from Petrofac, the international oil and gas facilities service provider, said the helicopter was engaged in a routine in-field flight. The helicopter's engine and the gear box have been found by the police investigation team.

A Petrofac company source speaking to Gulf News from London said the company will release the information on the victims in a couple of days. The company confirmed that the victims were foreign contractors and their relatives were being informed of the tragedy.

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