The 25-year-old Sunrise employee and Sheridan College student was missing and presumed dead following the massive explosions that rocked a Toronto neighbourhood early on the morning of Aug. 10.

Saini had come to Canada from India last December on a student visa, studying quality control at Sheridan's Brampton campus. He was working part-time at the Sunrise plant in the Keele Street/Wilson Road area of Toronto.

A day after the fire, police announced a body had been found in the rubble. DNA testing was used to make a positive identification. The Centre for Forensic Sciences conducted the tests and Toronto police announced the results Wednesday.

"It's heartbreaking news," said one of Saini's friends, who asked that his name not be printed. "He hoped to make a life here in Canada.

"He was a good guy. He always had a smile on his face," he said yesterday.

Saini's family in Punjab has been frantic, waiting for answers since the blast at the plant and holding out hope that Saini was still alive, even though they had not heard from him. His father, Rajinder Saini, mother Sukchain Kaur and brother Vikramjit Saini have all been granted visas to come to Canada to deal with the tragedy.

The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation by the Ontario Fire Marshal's office, according to police.

The plant was located near a residential area and 12,000 residents were evacuated on the day of the fire. Most were allowed back home within a day, but damage was extensive to homes closest to the plant. The City of Toronto spent $1.5 million removing asbestos from the area following the blast and Toronto Mayor David Miller said this week the city will also be stepping in to clean up the blast site because the company has not acted.

With files from Torstar Network