Ahmedabad plane crash: DNA of 11 victims identified

Ahmedabad: DNA of 11 victims from the Air India plane crash has so far been matched with samples from their families, a senior doctor from B J Medical College confirmed on Saturday.

Due to the severe condition of many of the bodies, several charred or extensively damaged, authorities have been relying on DNA testing to confirm identities following the tragic accident.

Dr Rajnish Patel, professor of surgery at B J Medical College, said the matching process requires precision. “It has legal and medical implications, so one cannot rush through it,” he told reporters.

Dr Patel also confirmed that Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the only survivor among the 242 passengers and crew aboard the London-bound Air India flight, is in stable condition and no longer in danger.

Gujarat Revenue Secretary Alok Pandey, speaking at the same press briefing, stated that the deceased were from 18 of Gujarat’s 33 districts, in addition to other states. He added, “The families of 11 foreign nationals who died in the crash have been contacted.”

To support grieving families, Pandey announced that “grief counsellors” would be made available to help them cope with the psychological impact of the tragedy.
Earlier, officials confirmed that the bodies of eight victims, whose identities were verified by their relatives without needing DNA analysis, have already been handed over.

The death toll rose to 270 on Saturday. In response, the Central government has constituted a high-level multi-disciplinary committee, chaired by the Union Home Secretary, to investigate the causes behind the crash.

The aircraft, operating as AI171, crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. It fell within the premises of B J Medical College in the Meghaninagar area, bursting into flames. Of the 242 people on board, only one survived. An additional 29 individuals on the ground, including five medical students, also lost their lives.
(With PTI Inputs)