New Delhi: Three days after the crash of a London-bound Air India flight in Ahmedabad, authorities have identified 47 victims through DNA testing, with the bodies of 24 deceased handed over to their families.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft (Flight AI171), carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into the campus of a medical college in the Meghaninagar area shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39pm on June 12. Another 29 people on the ground, including five MBBS students, also lost their lives in the disaster. Only one person on board survived.
Bodies charred beyond recognition
Due to the intensity of the crash and subsequent fire, many of the bodies were charred or damaged beyond recognition. Officials are relying on DNA profiling to establish identities.
“A total of 47 plane crash victims have been identified so far through DNA matching. Of these, bodies of 24 victims have been handed over to the respective families. These deceased were from Rajasthan and different parts of Gujarat,” said Additional Civil Superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel.
Meanwhile, Gujarat’s minister of state for home, Harsh Sanghvi, confirmed that DNA testing had identified the remains of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who was among the passengers.
“The DNA sample of former CM Vijay Rupani matched with that of his family members this morning at 11.10am,” Sanghvi told reporters.
CM meets family of Rupani
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel and health minister Rushikesh Patel personally met Rupani’s family to convey the confirmation.
The aircraft reportedly experienced a technical failure moments after takeoff, although the exact cause is yet to be officially confirmed. Emergency response teams, forensic experts, and civil authorities continue to work at the crash site and in coordination with the families of the victims to ensure identification and dignified handover of remains.
