Ahmedabad plane crash: 208 victims identified through DNA testing, 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.
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"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.
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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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