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Air India crash: 208 victims identified by DNA, 170 bodies handed over

Air India crash: 208 victims identified by DNA, 170 bodies handed over

At least 208 victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad have been so far identified through DNA testing and 170 bodies handed over to the families, an official said on Wednesday.
The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed soon after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one passenger on board the plane died along with at least 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into the hostel complex of B J Medical College.
Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition.
"Till Wednesday evening, 208 DNA samples have been matched, and 170 bodies have been handed over to the respective families," Ahmedabad Civil Hospital's medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi told reporters.
The victims whose bodies were handed over included four Portuguese nationals, 30 British nationals and one Canadian.
Following the crash, 71 injured persons were admitted to the civil hospital, Dr Joshi said.
"Of these 71, only seven are currently undergoing treatment here, while 12 other patients are admitted to private hospitals in Ahmedabad and Dahod. Three patients lost their lives during treatment," said Dr Joshi. The remaining patients were discharged after treatment.
The state government had earlier stated that samples of 250 victims -- persons on board the ill-fated flight as well as those killed on the ground -- were collected for identification.
The process of DNA matching of other victims is going on, officials said.

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Air India plane crash: Molars not developed, identifying minors a challenge
Air India plane crash: Molars not developed, identifying minors a challenge

Indian Express

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  • Indian Express

Air India plane crash: Molars not developed, identifying minors a challenge

The Nanabawa family of Surat had just completed the namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayers) of Akeel, 36, and wife Hannaa Vorajee, 31, when they received a call early Wednesday morning that the body of their daughter Sara, who had died with them in the Boeing Dreamliner crash, had been identified. The relatives rushed to Ahmedabad to claim the four-year-old's remains so that she could be buried beside her parents. Nearly a week after the Ahmedabad-London AI-171 flight crashed, the search for Sara reflects the difficulty in identifying minors among the badly charred remains. Till Wednesday, 159 bodies had been handed over to relatives after DNA matching and identification. Apart from Sara, only one other minor was among those bodies — Fatima Shethwala, who was 18 months old. AI-171 had 13 children under the age of 12, as per the airline manifest, including three who had not yet turned 2. Several others were between the ages of 11 and 18. 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A forensic official said the fire that broke out after the crash would have reached temperatures of over 1600 degrees F in a very short period. 'So, only partial DNA profiles are available for some, whom we suspect are minors,' the official said, adding that matching these to that of relatives with 'undoubted accuracy' is difficult. The Nanabawa family received the bodies of Akeel and Hannaa — who were British nationals based in Gloucester — a day before Sara's remains were identified. Akeel's father Abdulla recalled that the three had arrived on June 6, a day before Eid al-Adha, on a surprise visit. 'It was a short trip… We did know this would be their last,' sobbed Abdulla, who had gone to Ahmedabad to drop the family for the flight. In Vadodara, Asif Shethwala mourned his granddaughter Fatima, the toddler whose remains were identified Wednesday, while her mother Sadiqa's body is yet to be found. Asif said Fatima was his London-based son's only child. 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Among those waiting for news is the Vahora family in Vadodara. They lost three members in the crash. While Yasmin's body was handed over on Monday, the remains of Pervez and his daughter Zuveriya, 4, are yet to be found. A close friend said: 'The family needs closure to come to terms with the loss.' A former IPS officer and forensic expert, Dr Keshav Kumar, said the families should not lose hope. 'The air crash was almost like a bomb blast, with 54,000 litres of aviation fuel burning for over an hour. The amount of heat generated is damaging for the body… We would be lucky to get good samples… But if even a tooth has been found, there are chances of getting DNA… Forensics is like finding a needle in a haystack. But as an investigator, I can say that the chances of getting a match are 100%… DNA can survive thousands of years and the wreckage site will hold more traces of DNA if needed.' A senior Gujarat Police officer said they ensured collection of multiple samples from the crash site. 'Since so many agencies are involved in the investigations, the recovery of components of the aircraft was done on priority after retrieving as many bodies as possible. The forensic teams collected as many exhibits as possible for DNA sampling. Teams of the Gujarat Police, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and disaster rescue forces continue to check for any human remains or important leads that could help identify passengers.' —With inputs by Kamal Saiyed in Surat

Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy: Civil Hospital ensures systematic arrangement of embalming and coffin sealing certification for mortal remains
Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy: Civil Hospital ensures systematic arrangement of embalming and coffin sealing certification for mortal remains

India Gazette

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  • India Gazette

Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy: Civil Hospital ensures systematic arrangement of embalming and coffin sealing certification for mortal remains

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], June 18 (ANI): In the aftermath of the recent tragic AI 171 plane crash in Ahmedabad, the Civil Hospital has followed important and legal procedures to ensure the respectful and dignified transportation of the victims' mortal remains to their respective hometowns. Professor Dharmesh Patel, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at BJ Medical College, has provided detailed information regarding this process. He stated that embalming was carried out for the bodies that had to be transported over long distances, according to a release from Gujarat CMO. Dr Patel explained, 'Embalming is a scientific procedure that helps preserve a body for an extended period. It is carried out to prevent the decomposition of the body and to facilitate its respectful and dignified transportation over long distances, especially to foreign countries. In this process, a special type of chemical solution (such as formaldehyde-based) is injected into the body. These chemicals prevent the body from decaying and help keep it preserved. This procedure ensures long-term preservation of the mortal remains, which is particularly essential for air transportation.' He added that each body was issued both an embalming certificate and a coffin certificate--both of which are legal documents. When a body is being transported by air, the deceased's personal belongings and other items are placed inside the coffin along with the body. At such times, it becomes necessary to provide a certificate that these items have been kept together, according to the release. Additionally, during air travel, authorities often demand to see the embalming certificate. Thus, the Civil Hospital administration not only carried out postmortem and forensic examinations of the deceased but also ensured that all required legal procedures and certifications were provided for the dignified repatriation of the bodies to their hometowns. This reflects that the Civil Hospital left no gaps in the management of this tragic incident, the release added. A London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, The tragedy claimed 241 lives out of 242 onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. (ANI)

XFG dominant Covid strain in Maharashtra, finds genome sequencing study
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Time of India

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  • Time of India

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Pune: Multiple emerging Covid-19 strains — all Omicron subvariants — were spreading across the state, Maharashtra's genome sequencing surveillance revealed. The latest sequencing data from 184 samples across 10 districts showed XFG as the currently dominant variant with 84 cases. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It was followed by 38 unassigned variants, 34 LF.7.9 cases, 27 JN.1 cases and one NB.1.8.1 case detected in Pune. Nine samples from Mumbai were detected with the XFG subvariant, while three others with LF. 7.9. The NB.1.8.1, identified in a 29-year-old woman from Pune, showed high ACE2 affinity and immune evasion, hinting at the variant's potential to dominate future surges as per recent studies. ACE2 acts as a receptor for the spike protein of coronaviruses, allowing the virus to enter host cells. XFG, dominating in Maharashtra, and LF.7.9 are noted for their strong immune escape because of specific mutations, though their lower receptor-binding efficiency may require further adaptations. Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, Maharashtra's genome sequencing coordinator, BJ Medical College, told TOI, "After NB.1.8.1 was identified in Hong Kong as causing a surge in Covid cases, we at BJGMC, Pune, and NIV, Pune, parallelly started sequencing RT-PCR positive Covid-19 samples for the presence of this SARS-CoV-2 variant. CSIR-NCL, Pune's study also showed a spike in SARS-CoV-2 signals. Our findings after whole genome sequencing (WGS) revealed XFG to be the most dominant variant in the state, which wasn't a dominant global variant at that time around the world. We also identified LF.7.9 as another major variant in tested samples." Dr Karyakarte said, "The numbers confirm that XFG drove the current surge and not NB.1.8.1 (labelled Variant Under Monitoring by WHO). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now After studying the sequences uploaded on WHO recommended GISAID database, it is clear that NB.1.8.1 is more common in Southeast Asia, while XFG prevails in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — possibly because of immunity factors. Recently, XFG has also been rising in the US." Dr Ameet Dravid, infectious disease expert, Noble Hospital, said, "XFG is merely an Omicron sub-variant, similar to those in circulation during the third wave in 2022. Thanks to immunity built from previous infections, we're seeing very few severe cases this time. XFG is highly transmissible because of mutations that allow it to spread easily from person to person, leading to many upper respiratory tract infections. Its capacity to damage lungs or cause complications is minimal. So, patients with these symptoms are recovering well with outpatient treatment." Dr Dravid said, "Only a tiny fraction requires admission for pneumonia or ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome), the complications we saw in the first three waves. The damage has been limited despite low vaccination rates and waning vaccine-induced immunity over the last three years. We're relieved there hasn't been a significant surge in Covid admissions. While cases are increasing, most are mild, and improving with symptomatic care like nasal decongestants, cough suppressants and paracetamol for fever or body aches. " The state health data indicated 31 fatalities since Jan this year — as many as 30 linked to comorbidities and one to another illness. Infectious disease specialists said this trend mirrored past surges. Individuals with underlying health issues remain vulnerable as infections rise. Dr Piyush Chaudhary, infectious disease specialist, Jehangir Hospital, said, "This variant (XFG) appears mild, but even mild strains can lead to some mortality, especially if the number of cases is high. The elderly or those with comorbidities may experience severe outcomes. We also haven't seen worsening severity — patients in ICU were there because of other medical conditions, not Covid itself. We must determine if Covid contributed to deaths or if underlying comorbidities were the primary cause. Currently, it seems, comorbidities, not Covid, are driving severe cases this season. Case numbers are definitely rising, though many with mild symptoms aren't testing. Among those tested, the positivity rate has increased proportionally."

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