Even nine days after the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, families of many of the victims are still awaiting to receive the mortal remains of their loved ones. The authorities have asked eight families to submit fresh DNA samples, as the previous ones failed to match.
Ahmedabad Civil Hospital civil superintendent Rakesh Joshi said the bodies cannot be handed over to the families until the DNA samples are matched.
"When there is no match for a longer period of time, then you can ask for another sample from another relative. If one sibling has given the sample, then a sample of another sibling is sought for matching the DNA with those of the victim," he told news agency PTI.
Joshi had earlier said since the DNA matching process is highly sensitive and involves legal protocols, it is being conducted with utmost seriousness and speed.
#WATCH | #AhmedabadPlaneCrash | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Rajesh Patel, a businessman, claimed that while helping in rescue efforts, he found around 70 tola gold and around Rs 70,000 in cash from the debris, which he handed over to government officers.
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2025
He says, "The crash happened… pic.twitter.com/L9j5Nh9Ttj
Forensic Science University, along with associated institutions, local administrative authorities, other departments concerned, and various agencies, are working tirelessly to ensure that families receive the bodies of their loved ones quickly.
Until Saturday, 247 victims have been identified through DNA tests, and 232 bodies have been handed over to their families.
"Till Saturday evening, 247 DNA samples have matched. Relatives of these deceased were contacted. So far, mortal remains of 232 victims have been handed over to families. The process is continuing," Joshi said.
The victims who have been identified so far comprise 187 Indians, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian.
#WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat: On the impact of the #AhmedabadPlaneCrash on travel businesses, Nirali Shah, Administration Officer at a Tour and Travels Company, says, "After the Pahalgam incident, tourists are scared to travel anywhere. Then the Air India incident happened, and… pic.twitter.com/u9PFf7UCkI
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2025
The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 (a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner) crashed into a doctors’ hostel minutes after taking off from the Ahmedabad International Airport on June 12, killing all but one of the 242 passengers on board. At least 30 people on the ground also lost their lives in the crash—one of the deadliest in aviation history.
Meanwhile, police on Saturday confirmed the death of filmmaker Mahesh Jirawala, who had been missing since the plane crash incident, through a DNA matching test. His mortal remains have been handed over to his family.
