ISLAMABAD: The DNA identification process of nine Pakistani pilgrims killed in last month’s fatal road crash near Madinah has been concluded and the victims have been buried in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.
One Pakistani national survived the crash. The remains of three others are still being identified, according to the ministry.
“As per our mission’s report, there were 13 Pakistanis on the unfortunate bus. One individual is alive, but in critical condition,” the statement said.
The ministry shared the names of the nine victims whose DNA samples were matched with those of their respective blood relatives in Pakistan: Muhammad Umar, Ghulam Abbas, Siraj Uddin, Aftab, Abu Bakar Siddiqui, Fazal Rehman, Imran Khan, Fazal Ullah, and Zahid Ullah.
Last week, the ministry’s spokesman, Muhammed Faisal, explained to Arab News that the identification process was difficult as “the bus driver who had a list also died and the passengers’ record was burnt.”
The bus, which was on the way from Riyadh to Makkah, caught fire following the accident near the holy city of Madina on October 16. The bodies of its passengers were charred beyond recognition.
A team of Pakistani forensic experts aided by Saudi authorities worked tirelessly to identify the victims through DNA analysis.
