Another five victims of the deadly fire at Chawkbazar’s Churihatta intersection have been identified through DNA tests.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has identified 16 bodies so far through DNA tests. These bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
Two more bodies are yet to be identified and their DNAs do not match the three samples left with the CID. It is being speculated that the two bodies were initially wrongly identified and buried.
“We still have two unidentified bodies and samples from three families. They don’t match,” CID Additional Inspector General Hemayet Hossain told the media on Tuesday (Mar 12).
He added that the bodies will remain at the morgue and if anyone claims them, another round of DNA test will be carried out.
The CID official identified the five victims as- Hazi Ismail, Faisal Sarwar, Rehnuma Tabassum Dola, Mostafa and Md Jafar.
Previously on Mar 6, eleven victims of the deadly fire identified. Among them nine were male and two were female.
CID has been collecting DNA samples since Feb 21 in order to identify those. They collected 38 samples to be matched against the 19 bodies. In addition to that 257 DNA samples have been collected from all the 67 dead bodies.
The Feb 20 fire at Chawkbazar killed 66 people on spot with four dying later while undergoing treatment.
Although it was initially said that 67 people died on spot, it was discovered that a part of the body was counted as one victim. That part was later matched through DNA testing, making the death toll 70 so far.