Moscow, September 9 (Interfax) - Investigators are inclined to presume that the September 7 crash of a Yakovlev Yak-42 plane near Yaroslavl could have been caused either by mechanical failure or pilot error, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.
"The investigation has focused on two primary theories of the plane crash, namely mechanical failure and pilot error," Markin told Interfax on Friday.
A series of investigative procedures aimed at collecting evidence has been planned, Markin said. "The bodies of 43 victims and seven body parts have been found, and over 50 forensic-medical and 24 DNA analyses have been ordered," he said.
Thirty-nine crash victims, including 11 foreigners, have been identified, Markin said.
"Twenty-three identified bodies have been released to their relatives. The release of another 16 bodies is planned for the near future," he said.
After the remains of the other four crash victims undergo DNA analysis, they will be immediately released to their relatives for burial, he said.
