This archive report was first published on 9 September 2019.
Exactly six months after the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people, including 26-year-old American Adnaan Stumo's sister Samya, families of the victims are pressing for a permanent memorial at the site where the plane crashed.
Adnaan Stumo, who found a human jawbone at the site, said he tried to remember his sister's teeth when he saw the remains. 'I just looked at these teeth and I tried to remember my sister's teeth,' he said.
Many relatives are now calling for the farmland where the plane crashed to be turned into a permanent memorial, with some families even forming a committee to push for the creation of a memorial park in Addis Ababa.
Boeing has offered $100 million to support victims' families, with legal heirs of the victims set to receive about $145,000 each. However, some families are still demanding greater accountability from the U.S. authorities, with some planning to demonstrate outside the U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday.
As the search for remains continues, families are also finding it difficult to identify personal items and remains through DNA tests. 'We have already reached a certain stage of healing,' said Joshua Babu, a Kenyan who lost his son and daughter-in-law. 'Taking parts, this doesn't really help me much.'
Despite the challenges, families are determined to create a memorial at the crash site, with some hoping to one day take their children to visit the site and pay their respects.
