Two victims of chopper crash still unidentified

Dubai/Sharjah: Two of the seven victims of the helicopter crash that occurred on Wednesday evening near the Rashid oil field off the coast of Dubai are yet to be identified, said a senior police official.

"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.

A helicopter carrying five passengers and two crew crashed after the pilot lost control during take-off and hit a crane before crashing into the Resilient Maersk jack-up drilling rig.

The victims were British, American, Filipino, Venezuelan, Pakistani and two Indians, according to the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority. Dubai Police confirmed that the captain was British.

"He lost balance, which led one of the rotors to hit a crane. The hit pushed the helicopter back, following which the captain lost complete control of the helicopter and hit the rig," said Mahdi, adding that the engine and gear box were found burnt on the rig, while other parts of the helicopter were found in the sea.

The fire that broke out as a result of the crash was extinguished by workers on the rig. There was no evacuation and it is functioning normally, said Mahdi.

In a statement issued by Petrofac, the international oil and gas facilities service provider, which is the service operator for offshore assets of Dubai Petroleum Company, said an Aerogulf Bell 212 helicopter carrying two crew members and five passengers was engaged in a routine infield flight when the accident occurred.

The relatives of the deceased, who are contractor personnel, are currently being informed. No Petrofac personnel are among the victims, according to the company's statement.

A company source told Gulf News from London: "The formal identification is being currently carried out. We will release the information about the deceased in a couple of days."

Petrofac assumed responsibility for the facilities management and well operations on April 2, 2007.

However, it was business as usual in the Sharjah offices of Petrofac, less than 24 hours after the crash.

Several employees who spoke to Gulf News yesterday said they had been informed about the crash through the company e-mail, though none of their colleagues had been affected, and they did not know the names of those deceased.

Other employees were unaware that a crash had even happened.

Their bodies are charred beyond recognition and we need to carryout a DNA test."