Abid Gilani, executive from Canada, killed in Amtrak crash
Abid Gilani, a Wells Fargo executive originally from Canada, was among the people killed after an Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia.
The train was travelling at far higher speeds than the posted limits when it derailed Tuesday night as it rounded a curve, leaving seven dead and dozens injured.
"It is with great sadness that Wells Fargo confirms that Abid Gilani, a valued member of our commercial real estate division, has passed away," Elise Wilkinson said in an emailed statement.
Gilani, who was working in New York, had studied at Laurentian University and University of Saskatchewan. He had previously worked at Marriott and had a lengthy work history at Scotia Capital and Scotiabank.
A company spokeswoman says Gilani was a married father of two who split his time between Washington and New York.
Gilani's wife, Diane, told reporters in Rockville, Md., that her husband was a "dear person ... a kind family man."
"We have suffered a tremendous loss today. He'll be sorely missed ... he was really a wonderful person."
Gilani said she and her husband are both from Canada and had moved to the United States "decades ago" but still have family ties in Ontario
Six bodies were found at the crash site, The Associated Press reported, and the seventh died in hospital.
One of the people killed was Midshipman Justin Zemser, 20, on leave from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., an academy spokesman said.
An Associated Press video software architect was also among those killed. Jim Gaines, a 48-year-old father of two, had attended meetings in Washington and was returning to his home in Plainsboro, N.J., when the train derailed.
Rachel Jacobs, who was commuting home to New York from her new job as CEO of the Philadelphia educational software startup ApprenNet, leaves behind a husband and two children. She had been unaccounted for after the crash for several hours.
Late Wednesday, officials at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn confirmed that 42-year-old Derrick Griffith, dean of student affairs and enrolment management, was one of the seven fatalities.
