DNA experts say extreme heat hampered identification; chemical materials intensified blaze
Rescue and emergency team members gather near heavy machinery before starting their search for survivors, following a massive fire that broke out in the Gul Plaza Shopping Mall in Karachi on January 22. Photo: Reuters
KARACHI:
Scientists who conducted DNA examinations of victims of the Gul Plaza inferno have revealed that the intensity of the blaze reached up to 1,200 degrees Celsius, causing bodies to burn to such an extent that in several cases only bones — and in some instances powdered remains — were recovered.
The startling disclosures were made in an exclusive interview to The Express Tribune by Prof Dr Raza Shah, Director of the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, and Prof Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed, in-charge of the Sindh Forensic and Serology Laboratory.
Prof Ahmed, who led the DNA identification process of the victims, said the forensic laboratory had received 48 post-mortem samples for DNA analysis. Of these, 24 victims were fully identified while eight were partially identified. He added that 56 reference samples were obtained from relatives for matching purposes.
He disclosed that in some cases the remains were received in the form of bone fragments or even ash and powder, making DNA extraction extremely difficult. “Due to the very high burning level, DNA analysis of certain samples was not possible,” he said.
Prof Shah, who has conducted extensive research on fire dynamics and authored a book on the subject, said that examination of the bone structure indicated that the temperature of the fire ranged between 800 and 1,200°C. “In certain samples, even calcium content in the bones had been depleted, which points to extremely high temperatures,” he explained.
He added that Gul Plaza was considered a “mini Karachi” because of the wide variety of goods sold there, attracting customers from across the metropolis.
Many of the items in the market, he said, were made of plastics and chemically treated materials. When such materials burn, they either revert to chemical compounds or transform into oil-like substances that further intensify and sustain the fire.
Dr Shah said that fires involving such materials cannot effectively be controlled with water alone.
“In some cases, water can actually aggravate the situation. Foam is more suitable for extinguishing chemical-based fires,” he said.
He suggested that had foam been used instead of water during the Gul Plaza tragedy, the blaze might have been brought under control earlier and the scale of human loss possibly reduced.
The scientists further announced that ICCBS plans to take the Gul Plaza tragedy forward as a case study and organize a research workshop and symposium to examine the scientific and safety aspects of the disaster.
