Victorian Institute identifies 4 of 5 NCA P2-SAM crash victim’s remains

The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine has confirmed the identification of four of the five victims from the NCA P2-Sam plane crash in the Sarawaged Range, Morobe Province.

The identification of the fifth victim is still ongoing.

Assistant Commissioner of Police for Northern Command, Chief Superintendent Peter Guinness, told NBC News that the Forensic Institute informed Dr. Seth Fose, the leading doctor, via email that four bodies have been identified, and analysis of the fifth is in progress.

The email, received by Dr. Fose on March 7, mentioned that if everything goes well, a report on all five victims will be ready by March 22. Once finalized, the results will be sent to Dr. Fose, who will travel to Lae for a discussion with the coroner.

“Once we get all the samples and identities of the bodies, we will call the immediate families of those who passed on in that plane crash, to come and collect the remains of the bodies of their loved ones that are currently at the Angau Memorial General Hospital for burial,” he said.

After the bodies are released to their immediate families, another leg of investigation will take place where a Coroner’s inquest will be put together.

“This investigation will see investigators travelling to Sapmanga LLG in the Kabwum district, Wasu LLG in the Tewai Siassi district, as well as to Port Moresby to interview certain people to put together a report to go before the coroner,” Guinness said.

Based on that report, the coroner will make a final ruling on the cause of these deaths.

ACP Guinness thanked the families of the crash victims for their patience and assured them that the bodies would soon be returned for proper burials.