Mortal remains of former Gujarat CM Rupani, over 40 victims identified through DNA profiling; Air India contacts relatives of all victims
Authorities at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital had identified 47 victims of the Air India plane crash through DNA profiling on Sunday (June 15, 2025), with 24 bodies already handed over to grieving families, while the airline said it had established contact with the next of kin of all passengers and crew members.
Over 400 family members have reached the city, officials said.
The mortal remains of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was on board the ill-fated flight, were identified through DNA samples, State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel confirmed. 'The body has been identified, and we are coordinating with the family to transport his mortal remains to Rajkot,' Mr. Patel said. Rupani's son, Rishabh Rupani, had submitted his DNA sample on Saturday (June 14, 2025).
The Minister also announced that the funeral of the former Chief Minister will be held at Rajkot on Monday (June 16, 2025) with full State honours. 'Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel informed Vijay Rupani's family as soon as the DNA match confirmation was received,' Mr. Patel said. 'The family will receive his mortal remains from the Civil Hospital at 11:30 a.m. on Monday (June 16, 2025). The body will then be flown to Rajkot, arriving there by 2 p.m. The funeral procession will begin at 5 p.m., and the last rites will be performed at 6 p.m. with full State honours.'
'A total of 47 victims have been matched through DNA testing so far, and 24 bodies have been returned to their families, most of them from Rajasthan and different parts of Gujarat,' said the hospital's Head of Surgery Dr. Rajnish Patel, adding that DNA matching was still under way for several victims.
The State Forensic Science Laboratory unit and the National Forensic Sciences University team are working to match more DNA samples.
Also Read | What India searched for after the Air India plane crash: A digital reflection of collective anxiety
A total of 242 people – passengers and crew – were on board the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner when it crashed minutes after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday (June 12, 2025) afternoon. Only one passenger survived the accident. In addition to those on board, several people on the ground, including MBBS students in a college hostel, were killed in the incident.
In a post on X, Tata-owned Air India stated that each affected family has been assigned at least one caregiver to provide personalised assistance. 'The solemn process of handing over the mortal remains and their personal effects to the next of kin is ongoing. Air India is working closely with the authorities and will be assisting in the movement out of Gujarat and repatriation initiatives, where appropriate,' it said.
Air India expressed gratitude to the Central and State governments for their support, as well as to the staff at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital and Rajasthan Hospital for their tireless efforts. 'Air India remains fully cooperative with the ongoing investigation led by the authorities and will continue to provide updates as verified information becomes available. Friends and Relatives Assistance Centres remain operational at Ahmedabad and Mumbai airports to support families seeking information,' it said.
To support grieving families and streamline identification and logistics, authorities have deployed 230 teams across the country and coordinated with foreign missions, as many of the victims were foreign nationals.
Earlier on Saturday (June 14, 2025), Alok Kumar Pandey, Relief Commissioner and Secretary, State Revenue department, had established contact with the families of 11 foreign nationals.
'A total of 230 teams have been formed to establish contact and hand over the mortal remains to the families. We began handing over the bodies today,' he said. Mr. Pandey added that the victims from Gujarat hailed from 18 districts and that the administration was also in touch with diplomats of other countries.
He said death certificates were being issued on the spot to avoid any inconvenience to the families. 'Each body will be escorted to its native place in an ambulance with police protection. Grief counsellors are also being provided to help families cope with the trauma,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
United News of India
12 minutes ago
- United News of India
KTR appears before ACB again in Formula-E Racing fund misuse case
Hyderabad, June 16 (UNI) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K T Rama Rao (KTR) appeared before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Monday in connection with the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities related to the Formula-E car racing event. The hearing began at 1000 hours at the ACB office in Banjara Hills. KTR arrived at Telangana Bhavan by 0900 hours and later proceeded to the ACB office accompanied by his legal counsel, Ramachandra Rao. The ACB had issued a summons to him on June 13. This marks KTR's second appearance before the ACB in the case. He was previously questioned for nearly six and a half hours on January 9. The case pertains to the alleged misappropriation of government funds during the BRS regime to support the Formula-E race in Hyderabad. Posting on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, KTR said, 'I have been summoned by the ACB to appear for investigation on Monday at 1000 hours in the Formula-E race case, where Rs 44 crore was transferred from bank to bank, and the money is very much in the account of FE. As a law-abiding citizen, I will attend and fully cooperate with the ACB officials.' According to the FIR filed by the ACB, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) allegedly transferred funds amounting to Rs 44 crore to London-based Formula E Operations (FEO) in violation of established procedures. The payment was reportedly made as the state's share for sponsoring the second edition of the Formula-E race in Hyderabad. While the first edition in early 2023 was sponsored by the private firm Ace Nxt Gen, the company is said to have declined to support the second edition. Subsequently, KTR, who was then Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), allegedly directed senior officials to ensure that HMDA covered the costs. ACB officials claim that this was done without following due process. The ACB has already questioned several key individuals, including former MAUD Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar, and representatives from Ace Nxt Gen and FEO. Meanwhile, the BRS has strongly criticised the investigation, calling it politically motivated. Party leaders have demanded a fair and transparent probe, alleging that the case is being used as a tool for a political vendetta. Through a post on the social media platform X, KTR expressed strong displeasure against the Congress government. He stated that the ongoing enquiries, commissions, and what he described as political harassment by the Congress party would not deter them. KTR affirmed that these actions would not stop the BRS from exposing the government's alleged failure in implementing the promised six guarantees. He further accused the Congress of deceiving the public with what he termed "420 promises and declarations," and asserted that no matter how many conspiracies are hatched, they will not succeed in silencing the BRS. UNI VV ARN
NDTV
20 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Wore Oxygen Masks, Used Wet Clothes To Rescue": Official On Air India Crash
Ahmedabad (Gujarat): As the investigation in the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash continues, Sheetal Gujar, SDRF-ASP and nodal officer for the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), highlighted the bravery of rescue personnel who entered the hostel building with oxygen masks, and tied wet cloths around their hands to evacuate the people burnt in the incident. Speaking to ANI, the SDRF-ASP asserted that they received all the tools necessary to carry out the rescue operations. "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 London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into a hostel complex shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, killing 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Mr Gujar said that it was very risky for them to carry out the rescue operations at the time of impact, as the temperature at the spot was very high. "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 the senior officials were in touch with us. We recovered the bodies of all the victims," the SDRF ASP said. He further stated that ensuring the safety of citizens and preventing further damage remained the SDRF's top priority. "70-80 per cent of the operations are carried out by the also aim to secure the area to make sure that further damage does not take place," Sheetal Gujar said.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Families of Air India crash victims decry delay in recovery efforts
Just one of two flight data "black boxes" have been recovered by investigators, and most victims' identities are still awaiting DNA testing Bloomberg Relatives of people feared dead or missing after last week's crash of an Air India Boeing Co. 787 jet have become frustrated by a lack of information about the cause of the disaster and slow-moving recovery operations. Just one of two flight data 'black boxes' have been recovered by investigators, and most victims' identities are still awaiting DNA testing. A final death toll is still pending, with 80 of the dead having been positively identified through DNA samples and 33 bodies turned over to grieving relatives, according to a report from the Press Trust of India. 'We're expediting the DNA matching process to hand over the bodies to their respective relatives,' Dr. Rajnish Patel, an official with a local hospital in Ahmedabad, said Sunday. 'We're trying our best to facilitate the process and bring closure to the families.' Aviation authorities have been combing through the wreckage of Air India flight AI171 to determine why the aircraft lost momentum shortly after takeoff Thursday and plunged into a densely populated residential area in the western city of Ahmedabad. All but one of the 242 people aboard were killed, along with an untold number of victims on the ground at the crash site. Students of the B.J. Medical College were having lunch in their hostel dining hall when the jet loaded with fuel smashed into the building and exploded. Many family groups have gathered at the site, anxiously seeking more details about the accident and word about the whereabouts of loved ones. Payal Tushar Thakur, a young woman in her late 20s, said she's still waiting for news about her mother, who was working at a canteen at the medical college. 'We're poor, so no one seems to care about keeping us informed,' said Payal, her voice cracking with emotion. 'We're in shock, unable to eat or drink. Who needs compensation when we've lost our loved ones?' Air India will be paying the equivalent of roughly 21,000 British pounds ($28,500) to each of the families of the deceased and to the survivor, the carrier said. This is in addition to the some 85,000 British pounds announced by Air India owner Tata Sons. 'No choice' Muhammed Owess, 35, flew from Australia upon learning of the tragic loss of his sister-in-law, Nusrat Jahan, in the crash. Despite the challenging circumstances, Owess expressed a measure of satisfaction with response and outreach efforts by the airline and government. But his deceased relative has yet to be identified with DNA matching. 'We have no choice but to wait, given the magnitude of the tragedy,' he said. To facilitate the DNA sampling process, local officials said 12 teams are working in shifts, conducting DNA testing around the clock. But some of the collection efforts have been chaotic, with local news website Mint reporting the remains of more than one person were found in a single body bag. The Gujarat state health department has deployed over 855 health personnel, including 100 healthcare workers, at a trauma center near the crash site. The team includes regular hospital staff and supplementary manpower specifically deployed for emergency response. Counseling support also has been provided to the affected families to help them cope with their loss. 'Determining the total death toll will take time,' Alok Kumar Pandey, the Gujarat government's commissioner of relief, said Sunday. 'We kindly request your patience as we work diligently to identify the victims and notify their families.' Experts from Boeing and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, as well as several civil aviation authorities, have surveyed the location. Efforts by some of those directly impacted to learn more have been frustrated by the slow trickle of information being released by the government. India's aviation ministry has held only one press briefing since the crash. Ambulances have been shuttling remains to a mortuary complex near the site of the crash. On Sunday it was crowded with anxious families eagerly awaiting news about their loved ones. A steady stream of dignitaries, including local ministers and senior police officers, have visited the site to pay their respects and promise to help with search and recovery efforts. 'We've been waiting for over 72 hours for any news,' said Rohit Patel, who lost his nephew and niece-in-law in the crash. 'I'm inundated with calls from my family and community, asking for updates. What am I supposed to tell them?'
