12 hours ago
AI-171 plane crash: Mortal remains of 76 victims handed over to families after DNA matching
Ahmedabad: The mortal remains of 76 victims of the
AI-171 plane crash
have been handed over to their relatives after matching their DNA samples and ascertaining their identity. Around119 samples have been matched so far even as human body parts are still being recovered from the crash site and being brought to the hospital.
Meanwhile, remains of human body parts are still being retrieved from the site. On Monday, 15 such remains were retrieved from the crash site.
On Monday, June 16, 2025, Air India resumed its Ahmedabad-London flight services with
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
flight A159 departing at 4.30 pm from Ahmedabad airport, three days after the mishap. After the crash of flight AI 171, the airline had decided to change the flight number to AI159. The aircraft was scheduled for additional checks, as per a Ministry of Civil Aviation order.
The
Gujarat health department
has deployed an additional 855 staff, apart from the regular Civil Hospital staff, to ease and expedite the process. The district administration has appointed more than 250 nodal officers to ensure the process of handing over the mortal remains and for coordination with the families.
Supervisory officers have also been designated to ensure that all proceedings are conducted properly. The state government has also put in place an elaborate system to ensure assistance pertaining to any paper work for the relatives of the victims. They have also reached out to the relatives of the deceased to provide the required documents - including inheritance certificates - based on witness testimonies and verification by local committees, to ensure smooth processing with insurance companies and any government or semi-government offices.
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Keeping in mind the rainy weather, a large dome with basic facilities like drinking water, fans, and coolers, mobile toilets outside the new postmortem complex has been set up for the family members of the crash victims. Charitable organisations have been roped in to arrange for tea, snacks, water and meals for the families waiting inside the dome.
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel
visited the
Ahmedabad Civil Hospital
on Monday and took stock of the situation. He held a meeting with the ministers and senior state officials to review the entire relief and rescue operation.
