On January 26, basketball star Kobe Bryant (1978-2020) and his daughter Gianna (2006-2020) died in a helicopter crash. The authorities have now released the bodies of a total of nine deceased from forensic medicine in Los Angeles County for burial; they were handed over to the families, as reported by the US broadcaster "CNN". Bryant's identity was determined by matching his fingerprints. The official cause of death was also announced: blunt violent trauma after an accident.
A first preliminary report on the cause of the crash is also to be published later this week. The transport authority, which is currently investigating the accident, has announced that the first findings will be announced shortly. However, it will only be a sequence of facts that have been established so far, it is too early for a real assessment or even a determination. The investigations at the crash site ended last Friday.
Shortly after the crash, numerous media – partly supported by expert opinions and eyewitness reports – speculated that thick fog could have been a likely cause of the crash. Accordingly, the pilot may have lost orientation. At the time of the crash, clouds of fog were moving through the Los Angeles metropolitan area.