DNA Testing Identifies Victims of Ahmedabad Plane Crash

Identification of Victims

Ahmedabad, June 15: Authorities have successfully identified 31 victims from the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad through DNA analysis, with 12 families having claimed their loved ones' remains as of Sunday, according to an official statement.

Dr. Rajnish Patel, a professor of surgery at the government-run B J Medical College, mentioned that DNA matching for former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani is also in progress.

Earlier reports indicated that around 230 teams were assembled to assist the families of the victims, including the relatives of 11 foreign nationals who lost their lives in the incident.

Alok Pandey, the Relief Commissioner and Revenue Secretary of Gujarat, noted that the deceased hailed from 18 out of the 33 districts in the state.

Medical professionals reported that approximately 270 bodies have been retrieved from the crash site and transported to the hospital.

The victims comprised 241 of the 242 individuals on board the flight bound for London, along with an additional 29 people, including five MBBS students, who were on the ground at the time of the crash on Thursday.

The aircraft tragically crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, landing within the Medical College campus in Meghaninagar and igniting a fire.

Due to severe burns and damage to many bodies, authorities are conducting DNA tests to confirm the identities of the victims.

To accelerate the DNA matching process, Gujarat's Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, convened a meeting with officials from the state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) on Saturday.

He stated, “In addition to forensic experts from across Gujarat, several specialists dispatched by the Centre are working tirelessly to match DNA samples. Once results are available, we will forward them to the civil hospital for families to claim the bodies.”