DNA test results cause further confusion

ISLAMABAD: Results of about half of the DNA samples taken for matching came back on Friday. Instead of providing closure to the grieving families, many of the test results have revealed multiple matches for the samples collected.

All 152 passengers aboard the Airblue flight ED-202 were killed when the plane crashed in Margalla Hills near Islamabad on Wednesday morning last week. Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition and the authorities asked relatives to provide blood and tissue samples to determine the identities of the remains.

There have been conflicting reports about the number
of test results that have been sent back by the testing laboratory.

DC Amir Ali Islamabad Administration said that results of 25 of the 52
samples sent for matching had arrived.

Another senior official said that while nine of these samples were successfully matched and the bodies handed over to the relatives, the remaining 16 samples had multiple matches. “Some DNA samples matched more than three coffins,” the senior official revealed. He added that it would take more time to identify the remaining bodies.

However, another senior official, on condition of anonymity, said that the actual number of results was 30.

The government, he said, did not release information about the remaining five test results because no matches were found.

To cause further confusion, Professor Dr Anwarul Haq, Head of Pathology Department at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, told The Express Tribune on Friday afternoon that KRL Hospital in G-9/1 had given them the results of 28 DNA tests. “Most of the results however still need further testing for 100 per cent confirmation of identity,” Dr Haq said.

He added that they had taken 216 DNA samples from the bodies and 52 blood, tissue and DNA samples from family members.

Seven samples had been sent in from other cities.

The accuracy of the results, according to Dr Haq, is being marred by the fact that most of the samples have been taken from siblings.  “The tests results would be have been more accurate had parents given their DNA samples for the tests,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2010.