Gujarat government begins handover of Air India crash victims' bodies, deploys 230 teams for support

India Gazette

15 hours ago

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 14 (ANI): Following the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government has started the process of handing over the victims' bodies to their families. State Emergency Commissioner Alok Pandey stated that the deceased are from 18 of Gujarat's 33 districts, with 230 teams deployed to support families during this process.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Pandey said that the administration has contacted families of all the victims and deployed 230 specialised teams to assist them.
'Out of 33 districts of Gujarat, the deceased belong to 18 different districts. We established contact with the family members and formed 230 teams. We have started handing over the bodies from today. The family member who has given the DNA sample should come with a photo ID card when they come to collect the body. If they cannot come, their close relative can come with proof that may establish the relation,' he said.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has established a streamlined system for issuing death certificates on the spot to expedite administrative formalities.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has created a system where death certificates will be provided immediately. The respective village accountant or 'Talati' will provide the family card immediately. For every family, an individual team has been formed to help them take the bodies to the respective hometowns.
He also added, 'A grief counsellor has been appointed for each family to address the mental trauma. The families of the 11 foreign nationals have also been contacted, and they will arrive here by noon tomorrow. State government call centres are functional too address questions.'
Meanwhile, the lone survivor of the recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad is in stable condition and recovering steadily, according to Civil Hospital authorities.
Dr Rajnish Patel, Additional Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, also spoke at the press conference, 'The lone survivor is fine and recovering rapidly. He is stable.'
Providing details about the process of handing over the bodies to relatives, Dr. Patel explained that only after DNA verification will the bodies be released. 'Once a DNA match is confirmed, a representative from the hospital will contact the family member. They will be given a phone number, which they can use upon reaching the Civil Hospital. From there, they will be guided to the Medical Superintendent's office, where the body will be handed over following due procedure,' he said.
Dr Patel urged families not to rush to the hospital and assured them that the authorities would inform them as soon as their loved one's DNA results are available. 'There is no need to panic or come prematurely. Everything is being managed in a step-by-step manner,' he added.
On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport, ramming into a doctors' hostel of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. (ANI)