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Seven bodies have been recovered from a cold storage facility at a Karachi airport Tuesday morning, more than a day after a deadly militant attack there left 29 people dead.
The seven cargo workers were found in a facility next to the hall where a fire broke out during the attack, Sindh province Health Minister Dr. Saghir Ahmad said. Heavy machinery was used to break into the area to retrieve them.
Rescuers had been trying to reach the cargo workers who were trapped inside the cold storage facility at Jinnah International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Pakistan.
Families of the workers blocked a busy road leading to the airport, demanding that authorities help find their relatives, CNN affiliate Geo TV reported.
“We will work to investigate any negligence in rescue efforts by the authorities and those found guilty of negligence will be punished accordingly,” Sindh province Gov. Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan said.
The rescue operation unfolded nearly a day after terrorists entered the airport from two places with a plan to destroy a group of parked airplanes and “bring down our aviation industry,” according to the Pakistani government.
It was late Sunday night, and the militants were armed with guns, grenades and suicide vests. They went into the cargo area, about a kilometer (0.62 miles) from where commercial planes take off.
In a “heroic” effort, security forces “laid down their lives” to block the terminal and stop the attackers, surrounding them and killing all of them, the prime minister’s office said.
There were 10 terrorists, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa said, and two of them detonated suicide vests.
By the time the attack was over, officials said 29 people were dead, including 10 militants. Another 24 people were injured, the military said.
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault on the country’s largest and busiest airport.
Speaking from an undisclosed location, Pakistani Taliban commander Abdullah Bahar said the attack was retaliation for the death of former chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in November in North Waziristan.
Bahar warned more attacks will follow.
“As long as we are breathing, our attacks will be continuing ’til the end of our lives,” he vowed.
