New Delhi: Nearly five days after the deadly Air India plane crash in which at least 270 people lost their lives (including 241 onboard), authorities have matched 162 victims through DNA testing. At least 120 bodies have also been handed over to their families.
It is important to note here that authorities are carrying out DNA tests for the establishment of identification of victims after several bodies were charred beyond recognition after the June 12 crash.
Gujarat Govt issues statement
“Till 3.30 pm on Tuesday, DNA samples of 162 crash victims had been successfully matched, and 120 bodies had been handed over to the respective families. Remaining mortal remains will be released soon (after identification),” Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said in a statement.
Earlier, Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent, at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, expressed confidence that the process of identifying victims through DNA will be completed either by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.
Gujarat Government had earlier said that samples of 250 people had already been gathered, including those onboard the ill-fated Air India flight. Under the process, DNS profiles of the deceased are matched with victims with their family members for identification. The process is done when the bodies are damaged beyond recognition.
Notably, on June 12, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38. While 241 people onboard lost their lives, one person survived the tragedy and is currently being treated at a hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, a new video has surfaced in which residents of the BJ Medical College (BJMC) can be seen jumping off or attempting to jump from the balcony of a five-story building after the plane slammed into their campus on the fateful day.
In one of the frames of the chilling video, a woman is seen trying to climb down from the balcony with the support of mere railings with huge flames emanating from the crash site just metres away.
