11 DNA matches 48 hrs after Air India crash: Process of releasing victims' bodies to families begins
By Saturday, the hospital had found 11 matches from the 248 blood samples of relatives it has taken so far.
The bodies, most charred beyond recognition, were subjected to a DNA test. The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital also collected the DNA samples of all the relatives of the passengers and crew members who were onboard the aircraft.
Ahmedabad: Forty-eight hours after an Ahmedabad-London Air India flight crashed within 2 minutes of taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad, authorities started handing over bodies of victims to the next of kin.
'The mortal remains of one have been handed over and two more will be handed over this evening. This is a meticulous, slow process,' said Dr Rajnish Patel, professor, surgery and additional superintendent at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed at the Meghaninagar neighbourhood of Ahmedabad. The flight was carrying 242 persons, including crew members. All but one passenger, a British national of Indian origin, died in the crash.
The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital handed over eight bodies of victims to family members Friday. These were the ones that could be easily identified. Most others were charred and damaged beyond recognition and a DNA test is essential to establish their identity.
The hospital started collecting blood samples for DNA testing on its premises starting Thursday evening, converting a large examination hall into a makeshift sample collection centre.
Also read: Air India crash: Inside Ahmedabad hospital morgue, bodies await DNA ID as doctors race against heat, time
Process of handing over bodies
Dr Patel explained that when a configuration of a patient matches with that of a family member, the team notifies the hospital authorities.
'A person from the hospital will call up that relative. A number will be given to that relative so that they can reach the civil hospital and call that number again. From there on, the person will be guided to the medical superintendent's office. From there they will be taken, identified, papers will be verified and the body will then be handed over to them,' Dr. Patel said.
He added, 'It usually takes 2-3 days for a simple DNA sampling but there are multiple factors here that have both legal and medical implications, so we have to be careful. It can take up to 72 hours or may be a little longer also.'
Dr Alok Pandey, relief commissioner at the Gujarat government, told reporters Saturday evening that the hospital is working with the civic bodies to ensure that a death certificate can be provided to relatives on the spot.
'When the bodies are handed over, these officials will accompany the body in the ambulance along with a police pilot straight to the village,' Dr Pandey said.
He added that talathis across the state have been instructed to immediately issue a family card to relatives of victims who lost their lives in the accident so that they don't have any problem in the succession or inheritance process.
Pandey said, the Gujarat government has also arranged for a grief counsellor to speak to every family who has lost a loved one.
The victims of the plane crash are spread across 18 of the 33 districts of Gujarat.
The government has created 230 teams to establish contact with families of all victims of the plane crash.
The sole survivor
Viswash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, was the sole survivor from the plane crash, seated on 11A of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Dr Patel said, Ramesh was extremely lucky and is recovering well.
'The sole survivor is very lucky he was almost unscathed. He is recovering very well. And he is absolutely out of danger. Absolutely stable. He can walk around and go about his normal routine,' Dr Patel said.
All those injured in the crash from buildings in the vicinity have been discharged, except for one or two who are in critical care, Dr Patel added.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: Civil Aviation Ministry announces dual probe into Air India crash—one technical & another more 'holistic'
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