- By Priyanka Koul
- Mon, 16 Jun 2025 10:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Four days after the deadly Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 270 lives, DNA testing has confirmed the identities of 119 victims, officials said on Monday. Authorities are hopeful that the entire identification process will be completed by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.
The crash involved Air India flight AI-171, a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people. The aircraft crashed into a medical college complex shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 pm on June 12. While 241 people on board died, one passenger survived. The crash also killed 29 people on the ground, including five MBBS students.
Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. His mortal remains were handed over to his wife Anjali Rupani and family at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
With several bodies either charred or severely disfigured, officials are relying on DNA profiling to confirm identities. “Till Monday evening, 119 DNA samples have been matched, and 76 bodies have already been handed over to the respective families. These deceased were from different parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan,” said Dr Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
Dr Joshi urged grieving families to remain patient. “Some are complaining that the results have not come even after 72 hours. I appeal to them not to panic because this is a very important process with legal implications. We will call them as soon as results arrive,” he said.
On Sunday, hospital officials had confirmed that DNA samples were collected from 250 victims, including both passengers and those killed on the ground.
Authorities say they are working round-the-clock to match samples and return the remains to families as quickly and accurately as possible.