PIA provides facilities to bereaved families of Fokker crash

[Abbas Ali]

LAHORE, July 19 (APP): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Wednesday that the national carrier provided all facilities to the family members of passengers who died in Fokker plane crash at Multan earlier this month.

The airlines spokesman was reacting to the reports in the media and Letters to the Editors to the effect that PIA was so heartless that it did not even care anything for the family of the deceased much less call them or visit them.

The spokesman clarified the position by stating the following fact:-

The Chairman and CEO PIA, was the first to arrive in Multan from Islamabad, in the afternoon of the very same day, in a special Air Force plane and after visiting the site of the crash rushed to the Nishtar Medical College Anatomy Department and Hospital in Multan and offered condolences to the families assembled there.

The Chairman also visited the residence of the families of PIA employees in Lahore who were appreciative of PIA’s role in handling the emergency.

The Senior Vice President, Coordination, who is also the Head of the Emergency Response Planning, Division, flew to Multan, taking the first available flight within hours of the accident.

He personally visited the homes of the 13 bereaved families residing in Multan affected by the tragic accident, and offered Fateha.

The Senior Vice President Flight Safety, Health Safety, and Environment was also in Multan from Karachi and visited the families and attended the burials.

The Manager Emergency Response Planning, ERP, PIA, visited the home and attended the burial in Karachi of the victim belonging to Karachi.

The District Manager, Lahore, the highest ranking Officer of the Station, visited the families and attended the burial of all the three victims belonging to Lahore.

The District Managers Bahawalpur and D.G.Khan met the bereaved family and attended the funeral of all the victims belonging to Bahawalpur and D.G.Khan respectively.

Besides, PIA flew two extra flights from Lahore and one from Karachi and offered free boarding and lodging to the next of kin of the bereaved families, including free transportation of the bodies to their respective burial places.

Additionally, the Airlines volunteered to fly in next of kin and relatives of the victims living abroad, and flew in people from Jeddah, London, New York, and Canada.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan