Ahmedabad: Nineteen victims of the Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12th have been identified through DNA testing, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi confirmed late Saturday night. The identification process, crucial given the severe damage to the bodies from the impact, utilised advanced DNA profiling techniques.
Taking to X Sanghvi announced, “Update as of 9:00 PM—19 DNA samples have been matched so far, confirming the identities of victims. State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) unit team and National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) team are working through the night to match more DNA samples.”
Earlier in the day, Dr Rajnish Patel, a professor of surgery at B J Medical College, revealed during a press conference that the mortal remains of one victim had already been released to their family on Saturday. He added that two more bodies would be released by the day’s end.
At least eight bodies had previously been identified by relatives, bypassing the need for DNA matching, and returned to their families. The tragic event heavily impacted the B J Medical College’s premises, which were close to the crash site.
The crash, impacting the densely populated Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad, resulted in the tragic loss of 241 of the 242 passengers, including crew on board the London-bound flight. Miraculously, one passenger, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, survived the incident, and according to Dr Patel, is stable, recovering well, and out of danger.
Approximately 270 bodies have been recovered from the crash site and brought to the hospital. A significant logistical operation was launched, comprising 230 teams dedicated to coordinating with the families of the victims, including 11 foreign nationals who perished in the accident. Dr Patel also appealed for patience from the families, assuring them that the hospital would contact them as soon as a DNA match was confirmed. The tireless efforts of forensic teams continue to work to bring closure to the families affected by this catastrophic event.
