Lion Air: Remains of passengers handed over to Indonesian Embassy

Colombo (News 1st): The bodies of the two deceased passengers onboard the Lion Air flight were handed over to officials of the Indonesian Embassy at the Negombo Hospital. A post mortem of the bodies was not conducted. It has been revealed that the two deceased passengers and the other passenger who was admitted to the hospital had been on their way back home after going on pilgrimage. The Lion Air flight JT 85 had made an emergency landing at 2:45 am on the 13th of this month as two passengers onboard the plan had fallen sick. When airport officials examined the two Indonesian national passengers who fell ill, they had already passed away. The bodies of the two deceased passengers were placed at the Negombo hospital until last evening (Jan 14). The Negombo Judicial Medical officers had refused to conduct the post mortem examination due to the lack of facilities. Officials from the Indonesian Embassy in Sri Lanka said that they had accepted the remains of the two passengers as Sri Lankan doctors had refused to conduct the post mortem examination. The Embassy added that the bodies have been placed at a funeral parlour in Colombo. They said that they hope to send the bodies to Indonesia tonight. A passenger onboard the plane who was in critical condition was admitted to the ICU of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. When News 1st inquired into the matter hospital officials confirmed that the passenger had been suffering from fever for two days before he boarded the flight. It has also been revealed that he was suffering from a cough for the past week.