The first bulletin released this Sunday (11) by the state government informs that the Fire Department concluded the rescue work of the bodies of the 58 passengers and 4 crew members who were on flight 2283 operated by Voepass Linhas Aéreas, which crashed in a residential condominium in Vinhedo, in the interior of São Paulo, last Friday (9).
There were no survivors and all the bodies were taken to the Legal Medical Institute (IML) in the capital of São Paulo for identification procedures. So far, however, only two bodies have been identified, and the IML has not said when they will be released to the families for funerals.
The teams that worked at the accident site finished mobilizing at 10:45 pm yesterday (10), when the bodies of 62 people in total were removed from the rubble. The site will remain closed and under the responsibility of the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa).
The aircraft’s black boxes containing the cockpit voice recordings and technical data from the flight, from departure in Cascavel (PR) to the moment of the crash in Vinhedo, have already begun to be examined according to information from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The final destination of this flight was Guarulhos International Airport.
The Paraná Scientific Police set up a post in Cascavel to collect data and DNA samples, as part of the DVI protocol for Disaster Victim Identification, to help identify the bodies at the São Paulo IML. As of last night, 26 families had been assisted.
Fifteen people had DNA collected with swab oral (swab used to collect cells from the oral mucosa). Fourteen employees from the forensic anthropology department in Foz do Iguaçu were sent to Cascavel to help with the work, and the Scientific Police are asking families to bring personal identification documents of the victims; dental documents with image records such as x-rays, tomography scans, photos of teeth and recent photos and videos that show the physical characteristics of the people, such as tattoos.
IML
Around 40 professionals – including forensic doctors, forensic dentists and anthropology and radiology teams – are dedicated to identifying the bodies. The central IML in São Paulo was closed to carry out exclusive work on the victims of the accident.
Yesterday, 26 families of victims were welcomed in the auditorium of the Oscar Freire Institute, which is located near the IML, in the Cerqueira César neighborhood. The service began at 9 am on Sunday by teams from the state Civil Defense and the IML.
Family members are advised to bring medical documentation that may help identify the bodies, in addition to collecting biological material for genetic testing, if necessary. The collection of genetic material follows an order for selecting families, starting with the mother and father of the missing person; mother or father, plus child or spouse of the missing person; children and spouse of the missing person; mother or father, plus full sibling (from both father and mother) of the missing person; full sibling, plus child and spouse of the missing person; or two or more full siblings of the missing person.
The São Paulo government and Voepass have reserved accommodations in a hotel near the IML for the families of victims who have come to the capital. Thirty-eight families have already been assisted and given psychological support at the hotels. They are then referred to the IML. The Department of Social Development is monitoring the services provided.
Families of victims who live in Cascavel and in the city of Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of São Paulo, and do not wish to travel to the capital of São Paulo, can go to the local IML centers to receive assistance, submit documentation and collect biological material. The city government of Cascavel announced that it will hold a mass funeral for the passengers who were from the city.
The next bulletin will be released this Sunday (11) at 5 pm.
