Nine Pakistanis arrive to identify bodies of their relatives

Amritsar, Feb 20 (UNI) A group of nine people from Pakistan arrived today to identify the bodies of their relatives killed in the Samjhauta Express blasts at Panipat yesterday.

They crossed into India at Wagah border, about 35 km from here, in the afternoon and left for Panipat where the bodies of the blast victims were lying for want of identification at the Civil hospital.

Another group of 18 people are waiting on other side of the border at Wagah for clearance and completion of formalities before they are allowed to enter into India, said BSF officials at Wagah.

Sixteen of the 66 bodies lying at the Panipat hospital have been identified so far and twelve of them are of Pakistanis. The remaning four bodies are those of Indians.

Eleven of the identified bodies have been handed over to their relatives. DNA samples of the unidentified bodies have been taken for their identification. The samples will be matched with relatives who come to claim the bodies.

UNI