Homicidal deaths by firearms in Dera Ismail Khan: an autopsy study

ABSTRACT

Determine homicidal deaths due to firearm injuries in the district of Dera Ismail Khan [D. I. Khan] of the North West Frontier Province [NWFP] of Pakistan. District Head Quarters [DHQ] Teaching Hospital and the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of the Gomal Medical College. D. I. Khan. The study was conducted over 1 year. Data collected included all reported unnatural deaths from the urban areas of the district on which autopsies were conducted in the department. A total of 97 autopsies were conducted in 2004 of which 63 were homicidal deaths [64.9%]. All homicidal deaths were caused by firearm injuries and all were males. The most common firearm weapons [87.3%] were high velocity firearms [Kalashnikov, rifles, pistols] followed by low velocity rifled weapons [9.53%] and shot guns [3.17%]. A total of 77 injuries were found on different areas of the bodies, giving an average of 1.2 injuries per person. The head, neck and face sustained the highest number of injuries [49.1%], followed by thorax and abdominal area [19.4% and 18.1% respectively]. Extremities including buttock and genital areas were least affected [18.1%]. All reported homicides were caused by firearm injuries. The issues of possession of legal as well as illegal firearms and their use in cultural activities needs to be changed in order to reduce violent deaths