97 dead, only two survive PIA plane crash

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

According to the final plane crash figures provided by the Sindh health department late on May 22, only two persons survived and the remaining 97 were confirmed to have died.

Sajjad Gul was the pilot of the plane while Usman Azam was the first officer. Farid Ahmed Chaudhary, Abdul Qayyum Ashraf, Malik Irfan Rafiq, Madeeha Erum, Amna Irfan and Asma Shahzadi were the other members of the crew on board. 

There were a total of 99 people on board the unfortunate PIA flight which crashed into houses near the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. The only two survivors were Zafar Masud and Muhammad Zubair. 

The department officials revealed that 66 bodies were brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) while the remaining 31 were taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK). Only 19 of the 97 bodies could be identified. 

The media coordinators of the department continued updating the information of casualties since late afternoon until releasing the final tally late at night.

Meanwhile the Additional IG Karachi has nominated Junaid Ahmed, SSP, Korangi, as the central focal person for DNA collection and matching while DSP Rustam Nawaz and DSP Aftab Alam have been appointed as the focal person at the CHK and the JPMC respectively.