Dozens of distraught family members have been waiting outside Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, hoping for word on when they can claim the bodies of loved ones. Rafiq Abdul Hafiz Memon, who lost four family members in the crash, expressed deep frustration at the lack of information. “We have lost our children… We do not understand anything. Please help us get information about our children. Tell us when they are going to release their bodies,” he said.
Authorities at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital have so far identified nine victims of Thursday’s tragic Air India plane crash using DNA samples, IE reported quoting sources. They have begun the process of handing over the bodies to their families, officials confirmed on Saturday. Earlier, eight victims, whose bodies remained relatively intact and were identified visually by family members, had already been returned to relatives. At least 270 people have been killed in the June 12 crash.
The London-bound Air India flight tragically crashed into a medical college hostel complex just moments after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. Of the 242 passengers and crew members on board, 241 died and one passenger miraculously survived.
Accelerating DNA matching process
In a press briefing by the Aviation Ministry earlier today (June 14), Minister Ram Mohan Naidu reassured that the process of DNA matching is being given priority by the authorities. In order to speed up the identification process, Gujarat MoS for Home Harsh Sanghavi chaired an emergency meeting with the state’s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar on Saturday. He also said the state’s top priority was to complete the DNA matching process as soon as possible.
“Apart from Gujarat’s own forensic experts, the Centre has deployed additional personnel to work round the clock,” Sanghavi stated.
Families wait in anguish
DNA profiling is essential for bodies charred beyond recognition. DNA samples from relatives are being collected at the civil hospital and sent to FSL facilities in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar for testing. Police official Chirag Gosai said nearly 220 families had already provided samples.
Families, meanwhile, continue to wait in anguish. A resident of Patan, whose sister-in-law died in the crash, said, “DNA test was done yesterday, her brother gave his samples. They have asked for 72 hours, following which they would handover her body to us after confirmation. We do not know how it all happened…This should be investigated.”
Manish, who lost his daughter, her infant son and her mother-in-law in the crash, travelled from Nagpur. “We haven’t received any help from the government yet,” he said.
Another grieving father, struggling to get the body of his son Harshad Patel, said officials told him it would take 72 hours to complete DNA matching. “The authorities are trying to help, but our patience is running out,” he said.
FSL Director HP Sanghvi acknowledged the difficulties involved in identifying victims exposed to extreme heat. “The intense flames destroy most visible identifiers and severely affect DNA quality,” he said. “We’re working with great care to extract and match samples. Each test takes between 36 and 48 hours and is being done in batches, with multiple tests running simultaneously,” he further said.
Sanghvi added that 36 forensic experts from Gujarat and teams from the National Forensic Lab are collaborating on this massive task. “The profile matching has started and the results are coming in. We are handing over bodies as matches are confirmed,” he said.