Tragic Plane Crash in Ahmedabad: DNA Identification of Victims Underway
Identification Process for Plane Crash Victims
Ahmedabad: Officials from the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital have confirmed the identification of six victims through DNA analysis, and the process to return their remains to their families has commenced, as reported on Saturday.
Previously, eight victims were identified by their relatives without the need for DNA testing, as their bodies were intact and subsequently returned to their families.
As of Saturday, approximately 270 bodies have been received at the hospital from the crash site.
An Air India flight, bound for London, tragically crashed into a medical college hostel shortly after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
The incident involved 241 of the 242 individuals on board, with one passenger managing to survive.
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.
Dr. Rajnish Patel, the Additional Civil Superintendent of the hospital, informed reporters that results for six DNA samples have been received, and the families of these victims have been contacted to retrieve the bodies.
He stated, "DNA profiling is ongoing to identify other victims whose remains were severely burned. We have notified the families of the six identified individuals to collect their loved ones from the hospital."
One family is expected to claim a body today, while another will arrive on Sunday morning.
Minister Sanghavi emphasized the government's commitment to expedite the DNA matching process.
"Forensic experts from across Gujarat, along with several specialists dispatched by the Centre, are working tirelessly to match the DNA samples. Once results are available, they will be sent to the civil hospital for family claims," he added.
The DNA profiling is crucial for identifying those victims whose remains are unrecognizable. After collecting DNA samples from relatives at the hospital, these samples are forwarded to the FSL in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar for analysis.
According to police inspector Chirag Gosai, nearly 220 relatives of deceased individuals had approached the police by Friday to provide their DNA samples.
Details are gathered from these relatives at the post-mortem facility, and they are then directed to BJ Medical College for sample collection.
"The DNA matching process is expected to take about 72 hours. Once matches are confirmed, the bodies will be released to the families from the post-mortem room," the inspector noted.