Ahmedabad Air India crash: DNA of 163 victims identified; 124 bodies handed over to families

DNA tests have confirmed the identities of 163 victims of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, an official said on Tuesday. So far, the mortal remains of 124 victims have been handed over to their families.

The London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed on June 12 into the hostel complex of BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Of the 242 people onboard, 241—including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani—were killed.

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Addressing a press conference, Dr Rakesh Joshi, Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, said that of the 163 victims whose DNA has been matched, the remains of 124 have already been returned to their families.

Of the remaining 39, the bodies of 21 will be handed over by Wednesday morning, while two more are in the process of being returned. Twelve families are still awaiting identification results, and the handover of four bodies is currently on hold due to legal issues, he said.

“Till 5:45 PM today, DNA samples of 163 victims have been matched. Following that, the remains of 124 have been handed over to their families. Twenty-one will be handed over by tomorrow morning, two are being processed, 12 families are awaiting results, and four handovers are pending due to legal reasons,” Dr Joshi said.

He also updated on the injured: “On the day of the crash, 71 injured individuals were admitted to Civil Hospital. Forty-two have since been discharged, nine remain hospitalized, and two succumbed to their injuries post-admission.”

Meanwhile, Regional Commissioner of Municipalities Prashant Jilova provided details on the extensive DNA sampling efforts. He stated that five counters with teams of five to six microbiologists and health workers each were set up to streamline the collection process.

“DNA sampling was arranged for all relatives. Each sample took about one minute, and care was taken to ensure the process was smooth and dignified,” Jilova said.

Given the large number of distraught relatives arriving on the day of the incident—estimated at 700 to 800 people—psychosocial support was arranged.

“We also established a counselling centre staffed by eight to ten psychiatrists to comfort and support affected families,” Jilova added.

The DNA collection centre has been set up at Kasauti Bhavan, where relatives can continue to come forward to provide DNA samples for identification purposes.