More than 10 days after a deadly fire tore through Gul Plaza shopping centre in Karachi, authorities are still struggling to identify many of the victims, as extreme heat from the blaze severely damaged human remains, officials said.
Search and debris removal operations at the site have been completely halted on Tuesday, with work having stopped two days ago. The damaged building has been handed over to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), whose experts will decide on demolition and further administrative action.
The death toll from the Gul Plaza tragedy stands at 73, and so far, 24 victims have been identified, while the fate of 49 others remains uncertain, as many bodies were burned beyond recognition.
Police Surgeon Karachi Dr Samia Tariq said the identification process is ongoing at Civil Hospital Karachi, where DNA testing of remains and samples from relatives is being carried out.
“Due to the intensity of the fire, DNA in many bodies has been badly damaged, making identification extremely difficult,” Dr Samia said.
According to hospital data, more than 70 sets of remains have been received. 6 bodies were identified through facial recognition with the help of family members, and one through a national identity card. 9 additional victims were identified through DNA analysis, while DNA from 14 bodies was destroyed, making identification unlikely, she said.
Authorities have collected DNA samples from more than 55 relatives of missing persons.
Task force head Aamir Hassan Khan said samples are first taken from parents or children of victims, and if they are unavailable, from siblings.
DNA profiling typically takes three to five days, Khan said, adding that the Sindh Forensic DNA Lab is working around the clock to expedite results.
Forensic experts say DNA analysis is the most reliable method for identifying victims in fires and other major accidents, where fingerprints, dental records and physical features are often destroyed. When soft tissue is lost, DNA can still be extracted from bone fragments and amplified to create profiles, which are then matched with relatives.
Modern techniques, including rapid DNA identification using short tandem repeats (STRs), have significantly reduced processing time, allowing profiles to be generated within hours rather than weeks.
