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The official death toll from the fighter jet crash at Dhaka's Milestone School and College has been revised down by one to 34 after authorities conclusively identified 14 bodies from the 15 body bags that were sent to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.
Following the deaths of two more patients at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery on Saturday, the Directorate General of Health Services had earlier reported a total of 35 fatalities, bdnews24.com reports.
However, on Sunday morning, the figure was amended based on the latest identification data.
On Thursday, the Criminal Investigation Department of the police (CID) said that the identities of 5 people had been confirmed through DNA testing.
It added that members of the CID's forensic team collected 11 DNA samples from unidentified bodies and body parts kept at CMH. Analysis of these samples yielded DNA profiles corresponding to five students.
They were identified as Okiya Ferdous Nidhi, Lamia Akhter Sonia, Afsana Akhter Priya, Raisa Moni and Mariam Umme Afia.
The DGHS also released a letter from CMH received on Friday, along with Sunday’s updated information.
According to the letter, on Jul 21, CMH received a total of 15 body bags, which Turag Police documented as 11 full bodies, 2 partial bodies, and body parts from 5 people in its inquest report.
Of the 11 full bodies, eight were handed over to families on the day of the incident, and one more was handed over the following day.
“From the remaining two full bodies, two partial bodies, and five body parts, the CID forensic team collected DNA samples on the 22nd of July. After analysing the samples, they identified five people," CMH said.
Based on the CID’s DNA test results, Turag Police handed over the bodies and remains to the respective families on Thursday night, the letter added.
Dr Sarkar Farhana Kabir, the designated focal person for information about the casualties, said: “CMH has updated its figures based on the DNA test results. I have also updated the death toll accordingly, based on their report.”
The latest data confirms that, among the 34 fatalities in the incident, 17 were reported at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, 14 at CMH, and one each at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Lubana General Hospital, and United Hospital.
However, the identity of the person who died at Lubana Hospital has not yet been confirmed.
On Jul 21, a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft crashed into a building on the Milestone School and College campus in Diabari. It has since become the deadliest military aviation accident in the country’s history.
Almost a week after the incident, 48 people remain hospitalised across Dhaka.