Vijay Rupani's Body To Be Handed Over Monday, Gujarat Declares One-Day Mourning
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The confirmation of Rupani's death came after his DNA was matched with remains found at the site of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad
Gujarat Health Minister Hrishikesh Patel on Sunday said that the mortal remains of former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will be handed over to his family on Monday morning. The last rites will be held in Rajkot tomorrow at 5 PM.
The Gujarat government has declared a one-day state mourning in honour of the late former chief minister.
The confirmation of Rupani's death came after his DNA was matched with remains found at the site of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the DNA report arrived at 11:10 AM on Sunday.
Vijay Rupani, 68, was among the 241 people on board the ill-fated Air India flight AI 171, which crashed on Thursday shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down just seconds after takeoff, crashing into a building inside the BJ Medical College campus in Meghaninagar, about a kilometre from the runway.
The crash caused a massive fireball that severely damaged a hostel building on the medical college campus, killing several people on the ground, including medical students. So far, 265 bodies have been taken to the civil hospital, although the final death toll has yet to be confirmed.
Only one passenger, a British national, survived the tragic accident.
Vijay Rupani served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from August 2016 till September 2021. His death in the tragic accident has brought shock and grief to the state.
First Published:
June 15, 2025, 19:09 IST
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