Inside Gujarat's 24x7 Forensic Lab Identifying Air India Crash Victims
New Delhi:
A team of experts are working round the clock, keeping aside everything personal, to identify the remains of those who died in the fatal air plane crash in Ahmedabad and bring closure to their families.
The job of identification has been taken up by Gandhinagar's Forensic Science Laboratory on a war footing. So far 47 bodies have been identified including that of Gujarat's former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
The Air India Dreamliner had crashed on Thursday afternoon, with 242 people on board. There was only one survivor - 40-year-old Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, an India who is now a UK citizen.
The plane had crashed on a hostel of the BJ Medical College campus and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students, on the ground were killed.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi posted fulsome praie of the FSL experts who have gone beyond the call of duty and are putting in extra hours.
Tribute to the Dedication of FSL Forensic Experts
Truly remarkable is the personal sacrifices being made by the team of 36 dedicated forensic experts.
One such example is a forensic expert whose mother is currently fighting for her life, with only 20% heart function, and was... pic.twitter.com/u78k99fmxy
— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) June 15, 2025
"Their selflessness and dedication to duty are a testament to their professionalism and compassion. We salute these unsung heroes who, despite their personal struggles, are working tirelessly day and night to help bring closure to the families affected by the tragedy," he wrote.
Giving details of the sacrifices made by this team, he wrote, "Eight of the women experts on the team are mothers of children aged 3 years or less. Despite the challenges of caring for their young ones, they have put their family's needs aside to focus on the critical task at hand."
He also mentioned one expert whose mother is currently fighting for her life, with only 20 per cent heart function and is scheduled for urgent surgery, "Despite the personal turmoil, this expert remains committed to DNA testing efforts," he wrote.
FSL Director HP Sanghvi said the process of identification - especially DNA extraction from the remains - is an intricate and time-intensive process.
Explaining the methodology, he outlined that DNA sampling process from the remains - bones and teeth.
These samples are meticulously cleaned and powdered and then, the DNA is extracted, "using specialised machines at a specific temperature".
The extracted DNA is checked for quality and quantity using RT-PCR machines and copies are made only if they meet the criteria.
The DNA strands are then separated and run through sequencing machines to generate a full DNA profile.
Even after this long process, if sufficient DNA alleles are not detected, it must be repeated from the beginning. "Only when 23 alleles match between the victim and their family members can identification be confirmed," he said. In father-son cases, additional Y-chromosome testing is conducted to establish identity.
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Time of India
an hour ago
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'Wore oxygen masks, used wet cloth to lift bodies': Official on Air India crash; 70–80 per cent of operations carried out by SDRF
AHMEDABAD: In the ongoing investigation of the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash, SDRF-ASP and State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) nodal officer Sheetal Gujar described how rescue workers demonstrated exceptional courage by entering the hostel building wearing oxygen masks and wet cloths around their hands to save burn victims. The SDRF-ASP confirmed the availability of all essential equipment required for the rescue mission. "SDRF played a significant role in evacuating those trapped inside the building. We went inside with oxygen masks. The hands and feet of many got burned, but to rescue them, we tied our hands with wet clothes to lift their bodies. We received 20-30 extra ambulances within just half an hour," he said. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed into a hostel after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, killing over 200 people, including former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. Gujar explained that conducting rescue operations immediately after impact was extremely dangerous due to the intense heat at the crash site. "At that time, it was very risky to go inside and carry out the rescue operations as the temperature was very high. The fire department made arrangements for our team to go inside the building. We evacuated the civilians and students inside the hostel. The injured were immediately rushed to the hospital. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo All the senior officials were in touch with us. We recovered the bodies of all the victims," the SDRF ASP said. He added that the SDRF's top priority is to ensure citizen safety and prevent further damage. "70-80 per cent of the operations are carried out by the SDRF. We also aim to secure the area to make sure that further damage does not take place," Sheetal Gujar said.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
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News18
4 hours ago
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Air India Plane Crash: Is It Fair To Blame The Pilots Already? Why Boeing Has Much To Answer To
Last Updated: Boeing's safety track record has already been under fire, especially after the 737 MAX tragedy that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019 Thirty seconds. That was all the time the ill-fated Air India flight 171 spent in the air before crashing outside the Ahmedabad airport last week. Eleven seconds into liftoff at 1.39 pm, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal sent out a chilling call to the ATC saying: 'Mayday, Mayday, no thrust, losing power, unable to lift, going down'. Nineteen seconds later, the plane had crashed after dropping from a height of 650 feet. It was a clear, hot afternoon with the skies above Ahmedabad shimmering under 40 degrees Celsius. Everything was routine, until it wasn't. Flight 171 became the centre of one of the worst aviation disasters in India. Let's try decoding the crash, but without any verdict on what may have caused it. For that, we must wait for a detailed air crash investigation. Investigators are facing a long road ahead in solving this big mystery. The truth will emerge sooner than later from the aircraft's black box. But there are four significant tell-tale signs from the video footage of the takeoff and crash. Number 1 and the most important – the landing gear was out during the entire 30 seconds that the flight was in the air. Usually, the landing gear is retracted by the pilots within a few seconds of liftoff. Number 2 – the jury is divided over whether the flaps were extended or retracted. During liftoff, the flaps are extended to aid in lift. But the aircraft's angle during takeoff, being in a nose-up position, and grainy footage makes it difficult to ascertain if the flaps were extended or retracted. Number 3 – the aircraft had nearly exhausted the 3.5-km runway before liftoff. Was it looking for more thrust? A dust cloud can also be seen in the footage right at takeoff. Number 4 – the pilot's 'Mayday' message indicates both engines had failed as he reported no thrust or power. So, what could have happened? Aviation experts have proposed many theories. The biggest among them is a possible double engine failure due to bird strikes. This is one of the rarest occurrences – last seen in the 2009 case of US Airways Flight 1549, which landed in New York's Hudson River soon after takeoff. A Dreamliner can fly on one engine. But both failing during takeoff is catastrophic. The dust cloud seen in the footage right at takeoff could be engine-related – possibly birds being ingested, some aviation experts pointed out. But there are no visible large bird flocks or smoke trails visible in video footage. Other experts said engine stalling due to electrical or software issues in the plane is unlikely, given how sophisticated the Dreamliner is with multiple backups too. There's also a theory around the aircraft's flaps and landing gear. Captain Steve has suggested that the flaps may have been retracted, reducing lift, while the landing gear remained deployed. He has speculated that the pilots may have pulled up the flaps instead of the landing gear by mistake. Some speculate that maybe only one engine failed but the pilots turned off the live engine by mistake. But these were experienced pilots with more than 9,000 hours of flying time between them. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was a veteran at flying the Dreamliner on long-haul flights. The landing gear and flaps switch in the cockpit is located far apart, other experts pointed out. Switching off a live engine is also something basic training modules alert against. The pilots committing such cardinal mistakes is unfathomable. There would be an alert in the cockpit if this had happened. Some experts said just the landing gear being down cannot make the plane crash. Also, it is easy and convenient to blame the pilot, isn't it? The temperature was within operating conditions for the flight. Fuel contamination is believed to be unlikely too, as per some experts. So, is it a problem with the aircraft itself? Does Boeing need to answer as well? To be sure, the probe will look into all possibilities, including a cockpit error. A big breakthrough is the recovery of the black box in a relatively intact condition. The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder will be analysed by the Indian investigating agency, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). It will take the help of Boeing and GE, manufacturer of the engines. A team from the US National Transportation Safety Board will help India in the probe. A team of Boeing officials from the US is going to arrive soon as well. All 33 of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliners, meanwhile, are undergoing safety checks, additional maintenance checks and pre-departure inspections. Now I come to another big question – is there a pattern with the 787? Yes, a Dreamliner 787 has never crashed in history since its commercial start in 2011. But there have been some signs of trouble. Earlier this year, an American Airlines 787 made four emergency landings in one month – some due to faulty wing flaps. The same flaps are now under alleged scrutiny in the AI 171 disaster. The American Airlines plane was initially forced to return to Amsterdam after a problem with its flaps was detected shortly after takeoff for Philadelphia on January 7. The aircraft dumped fuel over the North Sea before landing at Schiphol airport at a higher-than-normal speed, attributed to the flaps problem. Later, this American Airlines plane was forced to abort flights to Philadelphia from Dublin, Barcelona, and Zurich. Boeing's safety track record has already been under fire, especially after the 737 MAX tragedy that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. The Ahmedabad crash on June 12 came six years after the loss of two smaller 737 Max planes, which claimed 346 lives and plunged Boeing into a near-existential crisis. And remember that after the first of these crashes, of Lion Air flight in Jakarta, Boeing had tried to put the blame on the pilots. The Max, Boeing's top seller, was grounded around the world for more than 18 months after investigators found that the crashes in 2018 and 2019 had been caused by software MCAS meant to improve the aircraft's handling. Instead, the system effectively wrestled control from the pilots, who were unaware of how it worked and how it might be overridden. The year 2025 has been deadly for aviation. Flight 171 was the second fatal commercial crash of 2025. Earlier on January 30, an American Airlines jet collided midair with a helicopter near Washington, killing all on board. Other incidents, like a Delta plane flipping on landing and another catching fire mid-air, have raised urgent questions about aviation safety in 2025. An extraordinary event in February saw a Delta Airlines plane flipped upside down after a heavy landing at Toronto airport, though all passengers and crew survived. In March, an American Airlines plane caught fire developing an engine fault and passengers were seen evacuating the plane onto the wing. The AI 171 crash, however, is the worst this year and arguably the worst ever in India. Investigators are now combing through wreckage, black box data, and cockpit recordings to uncover what exactly happened in those final seconds. For most on board, there was no hope. Out of 242 people on board, only one survived. Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old Londoner seated in 11A, was found alive in the wreckage. But more were killed on the ground as the plane crashed into residential quarters at the BJ Medical College. The toll could go well over 250. top videos View all Families demand answers. The aviation world demands accountability. The crash not only raises questions for Boeing, but also for global regulators, air traffic safety standards, and aircraft maintenance by airlines. We must make sure answers come before another disaster strikes. About the Author Aman Sharma Aman Sharma, Executive Editor - National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister's More Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Ahmedabad Plane Crash Air India boeing Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 16, 2025, 07:00 IST News india Air India Plane Crash: Is It Fair To Blame The Pilots Already? Why Boeing Has Much To Answer To
