69 victims now identified

Anti-mortem data and proof of presence aid identification of fire victims

KARACHI:

In a historic breakthrough, the remains of 30 more victims of the Gul Plaza fire have been traced using anti-mortem data and proof of presence, bringing the total number of identified victims to 69 out of 72.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Amir Hassan, the head of the Identification Project, explained that the identification was made possible by combining anti-mortem data (which verifies a person's presence at the scene) with other evidence such as mobile phone location and post-mortem findings. He added that the identification of these victims was a complex process, involving coordination between various sources of data to ensure accuracy.

Hassan confirmed that the remains were now being handed over to the bereaved families from the Edhi morgue, giving them long-awaited closure. Three victims' remains are still awaiting identification.

Hassan said, "this innovative method is giving grieving families the opportunity to bury their loved ones with dignity," he said. He added that some relatives personally retrieved the remains from the shops, where the location of the remains matched the shops' addresses, an encouraging sign in the identification process.

Among those identified were three members of a family from North Nazimabad who had come to Gul Plaza for shopping — Umar Nabeel, his wife Dr Ayesha, and their son Ali. The 30 newly traced victims include Muhammad Kamran, Hamza, Abdul Samad, Muhammad Adnan, Muhammad Mohsin, Hasan Ali, Sheikh Khurram Taimur Jilani, Jahangir Shah Pracha, Mudassir, Haider Ali, Saad, Muhammad Faizan, Raheela Tabassum, Kantat, Shaisha, Aftab, Islam ul Haq, Muhammad Asif Khan, Muhammad Ramzan, Muhammad Anas, Muhammad Bilal, Imran, Shiraz Ali, Asim Saeed, Muhammad Abrar, Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Faisal, Naveed Panvani, Abdul Hameed, and Sheikh Salman.

With this update, the total number of identified victims in the Gul Plaza tragedy now stands at 69, with only three victims yet to be traced. Hassan confirmed that work would continue until all victims are accounted for, ensuring closure for every affected family.