Authorities have so far identified 31 victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad through DNA testing, an official said on Sunday. Out of these, 12 families have come forward to claim the mortal remains of their loved ones.
Efforts are ongoing to identify the remaining victims and facilitate the handover of bodies to the respective families. As many as 230 teams were formed to coordinate with the victims' families, officials earlier said.
Additional Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Dr Rajnish Patel said, "The bodies of 31 DNAs have been matched. 12 bodies have been handed over to their respective family members. We are waiting for others to come and collect the remains of their relatives..."
DNA matching of Vijay Rupani
Dr Patel, who is a professor of surgery at the government-run BJ Medical College, said the process of DNA matching of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is also underway. "The identification process of the body of former CM Vijay Rupani is still underway. We have still not been able to match the DNA. We will inform the press as soon as we find his body," Dr Patel said.
Air India plane crash
The tragic Air India plane crash claimed the lives of 241 of the 242 passengers and crew on board the London-bound Boeing 787-8 (AI171), along with 29 people on the ground, including five MBBS students. Only one passenger survived the devastating incident. Former CM Rupani was among the passengers killed in the tragedy.
The aircraft crashed moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. It plunged into the campus of BJ Medical College in the Meghaninagar area, where it burst into flames, causing widespread destruction and additional casualties on the ground.
The check-in luggage of all passengers aboard the ill-fated Air India flight remains intact and safe, according to officials. Gujarat Police will hand over the baggage to Air India, which will then identify and return the belongings to the families of the deceased using CCTV footage and baggage stickers for verification.
The first alert regarding the crash was received by Gujarat Police at 1:41 PM, after which the fire brigade and hospital authorities were promptly informed.
In light of the tragedy, the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner has exempted the requirement for detailed post-mortems, a discretionary power vested in the commissioner during mass casualty incidents.
on Saturday, while removing the tail section of the aircraft, authorities recovered the body of a crew member. Police have also recovered ornaments and burnt passports from the debris, which will be handed over to Air India for further processing.
An Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been filed at the Meghani Nagar Police Station in connection with the crash.
The Gujarat Police Forensic Team will submit all collected evidence to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is leading the investigation into the crash.
(Input: Rajesh Kumar)
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