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The Print
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Print
11 DNA matches 48 hrs after Air India crash: Process of releasing victims' bodies to families begins
By Saturday, the hospital had found 11 matches from the 248 blood samples of relatives it has taken so far. The bodies, most charred beyond recognition, were subjected to a DNA test. The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital also collected the DNA samples of all the relatives of the passengers and crew members who were onboard the aircraft. Ahmedabad: Forty-eight hours after an Ahmedabad-London Air India flight crashed within 2 minutes of taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad, authorities started handing over bodies of victims to the next of kin. 'The mortal remains of one have been handed over and two more will be handed over this evening. This is a meticulous, slow process,' said Dr Rajnish Patel, professor, surgery and additional superintendent at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed at the Meghaninagar neighbourhood of Ahmedabad. The flight was carrying 242 persons, including crew members. All but one passenger, a British national of Indian origin, died in the crash. The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital handed over eight bodies of victims to family members Friday. These were the ones that could be easily identified. Most others were charred and damaged beyond recognition and a DNA test is essential to establish their identity. The hospital started collecting blood samples for DNA testing on its premises starting Thursday evening, converting a large examination hall into a makeshift sample collection centre. Also read: Air India crash: Inside Ahmedabad hospital morgue, bodies await DNA ID as doctors race against heat, time Process of handing over bodies Dr Patel explained that when a configuration of a patient matches with that of a family member, the team notifies the hospital authorities. 'A person from the hospital will call up that relative. A number will be given to that relative so that they can reach the civil hospital and call that number again. From there on, the person will be guided to the medical superintendent's office. From there they will be taken, identified, papers will be verified and the body will then be handed over to them,' Dr. Patel said. He added, 'It usually takes 2-3 days for a simple DNA sampling but there are multiple factors here that have both legal and medical implications, so we have to be careful. It can take up to 72 hours or may be a little longer also.' Dr Alok Pandey, relief commissioner at the Gujarat government, told reporters Saturday evening that the hospital is working with the civic bodies to ensure that a death certificate can be provided to relatives on the spot. 'When the bodies are handed over, these officials will accompany the body in the ambulance along with a police pilot straight to the village,' Dr Pandey said. He added that talathis across the state have been instructed to immediately issue a family card to relatives of victims who lost their lives in the accident so that they don't have any problem in the succession or inheritance process. Pandey said, the Gujarat government has also arranged for a grief counsellor to speak to every family who has lost a loved one. The victims of the plane crash are spread across 18 of the 33 districts of Gujarat. The government has created 230 teams to establish contact with families of all victims of the plane crash. The sole survivor Viswash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, was the sole survivor from the plane crash, seated on 11A of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Dr Patel said, Ramesh was extremely lucky and is recovering well. 'The sole survivor is very lucky he was almost unscathed. He is recovering very well. And he is absolutely out of danger. Absolutely stable. He can walk around and go about his normal routine,' Dr Patel said. All those injured in the crash from buildings in the vicinity have been discharged, except for one or two who are in critical care, Dr Patel added. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: Civil Aviation Ministry announces dual probe into Air India crash—one technical & another more 'holistic'
India Gazette
5 hours ago
- Health
- India Gazette
DNA of 11 plane crash victims matched, remains of one handed over: BJ Medical College Professor
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 14 (ANI): Authorities at BJ Medical College on Saturday provided an update on the identification process following the tragic Air India plane crash, confirming that DNA test results for 11 deceased passengers have been completed and the mortal remains of one victim have been handed over to their family. Officials also provided key updates about the medical care for survivors and the relocation of students affected by the ongoing investigation. Dr Rajnish Patel, Professor of Surgery at BJ Medical College, said, '...DNA samples of 11 deceased have matched till now. The mortal remains of one of the deceased have been handed over to the family... Two more will be handed over by today... It is a slow process and has to be done meticulously. We received one more body today recovered from the tail of the aircraft...' He also explained the challenges involved in the identification process, saying, 'DNA matching usually takes up to 72 hours. But imagine that we have to cross-match more than 240 people. So it will take some time...' On the medical front, Dr Patel informed that almost all injured patients have been discharged. 'Almost all the injured patients have been discharged. Only seven to eight injured remain in the hospital. Out of them, one is critically injured... The sole person who survived the crash is safe and stable... He can stay here for as long as he wants. He will be discharged once he is completely healthy,' he said. Meanwhile, as part of the aircraft crash investigation, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has vacated the Atulyam hostel complex, which housed many resident doctors and postgraduate students. Dr Meenakshi Paresh, Dean of BJ Medical College, outlined the steps taken to ensure continuity of accommodation for displaced students. 'Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has vacated all the hostels of Atulyam for investigation. The accommodation of the postgraduate students living in those hostels has been arranged. There were 33 doctors in Atulyam-1, who have been given accommodation in the postgraduate wing of UN Mehta Hostel...,' she said. 'Out of 100 doctors of GCRI, 52 have been shifted to the old building of GCRI, and for the remaining 48, we have rented 50 rooms for a year... Students of Atulyam-4 are shifted to the dental staff quarters and Mithila quarters. Arrangements for all the students have been made,' she added. Meanwhile, the Junior Doctors' Association of BJ Medical College on Saturday confirmed that four MBBS students lost their lives after the London-bound Air India flight rammed into the doctor's hostel shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. In a statement, the Junior Doctors' Association on Saturday said that the students were having lunch at the mess when the plane crashed into the building, killing four and injuring 20 MBBS students. Of the injured, 11 have been discharged. 'In reference to the recent plane crash incident, JDA- BJMC clarifies that a total of 4 MBBS students from B.J. Medical College, who were having lunch in the mess building, have sadly passed away. Out of the 20 MBBS students injured in the accident, 11 have been discharged with a stable condition,' the statement read. The association also urged people not to be misled by rumours of a higher death toll among students and resident doctors in the plane crash. 'Some individuals are spreading rumours suggesting a high death toll among medical college students and resident doctors. We appeal to everyone not to be misled by such misinformation and to refrain from spreading rumours further.' According to the association, four family members of super-speciality doctors who were residing in the 'Atulyam' building on the college campus also died. 'Among the family members of Super Speciality doctors residing in the 'Atulyam' building, 4 have tragically died. Additionally, the wife of one resident doctor from the Super Speciality department has been injured and is currently under treatment. The condition of all admitted patients is stable and they are recovering quickly,' the statement read. Air India earlier confirmed the death of 241 people out of the 242 on board in the plane crash. (ANI)
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
Ahmedabad plane crash: Another body recovered from crash site; medical college confirms four MBBS students among victims
Firefighters assisting forensic and aviation authorities at the Air India crash site in Ahmedabad discovered another body on Saturday (June 14, 2025) morning. Confirming the development, Additional Chief Fire Officer Jayesh Khadia said: 'Our firemen, who are helping forensic and aviation experts in their ongoing investigation at the crash site, found some body parts from the canteen's rubble on Friday, while a body was found today morning.' Also read: Air India Ahmedabad plane crash updates on June 14, 2025 Rajnish Patel, Head of Surgery, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, confirmed that a body was recovered on Saturday (June 14, 2025), which was stuck beneath the tail portion of the crashed aircraft. The ill-fated Air India Flight AI-171, a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, that crashed minutes after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killed all but one of the 242 people onboard, along with several residents on the ground. It ploughed into the medical hostel complex and its dining mess in the densely populated Meghaninagar area. Among those killed were four MBBS students from B.J. Medical College (BJMC), who were having lunch in the mess building when the tragedy struck. The Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) of BJMC confirmed the fatalities and added that 20 other students were injured in the crash. Of them, 11 have been discharged and are currently in stable condition, while the rest are recovering under observation. 'All admitted patients are stable and recovering quickly,' said Dr. Dhaval Gameti, president of the JDA. In addition to the student casualties, four family members of super-specialty doctors residing in the 'Atulyam' residential quarters also lost their lives. The wife of a resident doctor sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. The JDA urged the public to remain cautious about misinformation circulating online, particularly exaggerated reports about the toll among students and medical staff. 'In these challenging times, some individuals are spreading rumours suggesting a high death toll among medical college students and resident doctors. We appeal to everyone not to be misled by such misinformation and to refrain from spreading rumours further,' the association said. Expressing grief, the JDA extended its condolences to all those affected. 'JDA-BJMC expresses deep sorrow for every individual affected by this tragedy and extends heartfelt condolences and support to their families,' the statement added. According to Dr. Gameti, approximately 270 bodies have been brought to the Civil Hospital since the crash. The identification process is ongoing, with DNA profiling underway to match victims with their relatives. The bodies will be handed over once confirmation is complete. (With PTI inputs)
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Ahmedabad plane crash: Gujarat orders to issue on-the-spot death certificates, assigns grief counselor for victim families
The Gujarat government on Saturday ordered to issue on-the-spot death certificates for the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy even as 230 teams, including a senior officer, a policeman and a professional grief counselor have been set up to establish contacts with the families of the victims, said officials familiar with the matter. On Thursday, Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flight, carrying 242 people to London Gatwick Airport, went down moments after it took off from Ahmedabad airport at 1.38 pm, killing 241. Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey and Additional Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Rajnish Patel while addressing a joint press conference on Saturday shared that out of total 33 districts, victims belong to 18 districts in Gujarat. Arrangements have been made to issue on-the-spot death certificates by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), said one of the officials. Further, sharing more details, Pandey said: 'At least 230 teams, including a senior officer, a policeman and a professional grief counselor have been formed to establish contacts with the families of the victims of the plane crash'. Teams have been assigned to individual families with a rank of a Deputy Collector or tehsildar rank officer. Bodies will be handed over to the families and taken in ambulances to the village or district with a police pilot, Pandey said. 'A grief counsellor has been assigned to every family to deal with mental trauma,' Pandey said. 'Also, instructions have been issued at the village level to issue the family relation card to the families to avoid succession issues,' Pandey said. 'A team from the birth and death certificate department has been stationed at the Civil hospital to issue the death certificates to the families on the basis of the DNA report for a seamless and immediate process,' Ahmedabad Municipal commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani told this paper. The village Talati (revenue officer) has been directed to issue the Inheritance Succession Certificate to the family members to avoid any inconvenience, said a government official. By Saturday evening, DNA samples of a total of eleven deceased were successfully matched, Additional Superintendent Rajnish Patel said. The families of the 11 foreign nationals have been contacted through their respective embassies, Pandey added. 'Contacts have been established with the families of the eleven foreign nationals who will reach here Sunday afternoon,' the relief commissioner added. 'Our team will accompany the family members and provide them with all kinds of assistance,' the official added.
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
DNA samples of 11 Ahmedabad plane crash victims identified; families begin collecting remains
The Gujarat government confirmed on Saturday that 11 victims of the Air India Flight AI171 crash have been identified through DNA testing, with the process of releasing remains to families now underway. At a press briefing at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Dr. Rajnish Patel, Head of Surgery, stated, 'We handed over one body to family members this morning, with two more to be released by evening.' He confirmed that 11 DNA matches have been verified, adding, 'And the families of those victims have been contacted to collect the remains,' he said. Describing DNA matching as a 'meticulously slow process', he added, 'We need to carry it out with utmost care and precision. When The Hindu asked him about the total number of crash victims' bodies at the hospital, Dr. Patel deflected the question, saying, 'That is not… I don't have that data.' In response to another question about how many family members had come to provide DNA samples, he said, 'I do not have an exact number because I'm not involved in that area… and it is meaningless to dig into how many have come and gone… We have 11 positive results, and let us concentrate on that.' Earlier, eight visually identifiable victims had already been released to relatives without requiring DNA analysis. Dr. Patel noted the DNA matching process typically requires 72 hours for completion. 'It will take nearly 72 hours to complete the exercise of matching the DNA samples. Once they match, bodies will be handed over to the relatives from the post-mortem room,' Dr. Patel said. 'It will take nearly 72 hours to complete the process of matching DNA samples. Once they match, the bodies will be handed over to relatives from the post-mortem room,' Dr. Patel added. He said that one more body was recovered on Saturday, which was stuck beneath the tail portion of the crashed aircraft. According to Alok Kumar Pandey, Relief Commissioner and Secretary, Revenue Department, the state government 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. Pandey added that the victims from Gujarat hailed from 18 districts and that the administration was also in touch with diplomats of other countries. The senior IAS officer 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 counselors are also being provided to help families cope with the trauma,' he added. The London-bound Air India flight from Ahmedabad crashed into a medical college hostel complex in the Meghaninagar area of the city moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The victims included 241 of the 242 passengers and crew members on board the flight. One passenger miraculously survived. Briefing about the condition of the lone survivor, Dr. Patel said: 'he is a lucky man… his condition is stable and he can walk and talk normally.' To expedite the DNA matching process, Gujarat's Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, held a meeting with officials of the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) on Saturday. Speaking after the meeting at the FSL in Gandhinagar, Sanghavi said the state government's priority was to complete the DNA matching exercise as quickly as possible. 'Apart from forensic experts from across Gujarat, several experts sent by the Centre are working round the clock to match DNA samples. As soon as the results are ready, they are sent to the Civil Hospital so that families can claim the bodies,' he said. WTC final: South Africa ends 27-year drought of major ICC title South Africa won the World Test Championship against titleholder Australia by five wickets after knocking off the last 69 runs required on the fourth morning of the final on Saturday. The Proteas achieved their first major cricket title in 27 years, sparking celebrations at Lord's. After electing to field first, South African bowlers led by Kagiso Rabada (5 for 51) and Marco Jansen (3 for 49) dismissed the defending champions Australia for 212. Steve Smith (66) and Beu Webster (72) were the main scorers for the Australian team. They moved from a portentous 213-2 overnight to 282-5, the second-highest successful run chase in the 141-year test history at the home of cricket. Australia didn't give up the WTC mace easily, relentlessly attacking the stumps and pressuring a South Africa side with an infamous history of blowing winning positions on big ICC stages. But South Africa was staunch and composed — only three boundaries in more than two hours — and lost only three wickets on Saturday in an air of inevitability. 'We've come a long way as a team, as a country,' an emotional Keshav Maharaj said. 'We always say we want to be good people and play good. We're moving in the right direction as a cricketing nation. 'After 25 years of pain, to finally get over the line is super emotional. We're so grateful to have Temba (Bavuma, captain) to get us over the line. Diversity is our strength, so to see the crowd, they stand for the meaning of our rainbow nation. To lift the trophy is going to unite the nation even more.' The desperate Australians used up all of their three reviews in vain within the first 90 minutes but fought to the end. They took the new ball but were still blunted by a flat pitch. Markram was the colossus Australia could not topple until it was too late. The opener resumed the day on 102 and was out for 136 when only six more runs were needed. He spent six hours, 23 minutes in the middle. About 15 minutes later, Kyle Verreynne broke the tension by hitting the winning run, a drive into the covers. Markram and captain Temba Bavuma set up the victory with an unbeaten and chanceless partnership of 143 runs the day before. They could not finish what they started, adding only four runs together before Bavuma edged Pat Cummins behind for 66, one more than he had overnight. Tristan Stubbs was castled on 8 by Mitchell Starc with 41 runs needed and South Africa was too close to the finish to be denied. But Markram couldn't have the pleasure himself. With six runs needed to win, he was caught at midwicket by Travis Head off Josh Hazlewood. Australia didn't celebrate. Instead, players slapped Markram on the back and congratulated him on his match-winning knock as the Lord's crowd stood and applauded. They stood again when the end finally came, a rout of red-hot Australia with five sessions to spare. South Africa's only previous global trophy was the Champions Trophy's precursor in 1998. Before then and since, its history on the ICC's biggest stages has been infamously cruel. The venues and dates of their most heartbreaking losses include Birmingham 1999, Dhaka 2011, Auckland 2015, Kolkata 2023 and Bridgetown 2024. But London 2025 will go down as one of the greatest days in South Africa sports, when its cricket underdogs grabbed the advantage and didn't let go against one of the great Australia test sides. South Africa was criticised before the final for its supposedly easier road — it didn't face Australia or England in a series in the 2023-25 WTC cycle — but it has won eight straight tests, its second-longest streak in history, and half of them away from home. Iran President vows 'more severe' response if Israeli strikes persist Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Saturday that there would be a 'more severe and powerful response' if Israel continued to strike his country. 'The continuation of Zionist aggression will be met with a more severe and powerful response from the Iranian armed forces,' Pezeshkian said in a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to the Iranian presidency. Earlier, Israel's Defense Minister also warned Iran on Saturday that 'Tehran will burn' if it continues firing missiles. Speaking after an assessment meeting with the Army's Chief of Staff, Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Iran will pay a heavy price for harming Israeli citizens. His comments come after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel overnight Saturday following Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear program Friday morning. The ongoing Israeli strikes appear to have halted — for now — any diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Israel and Iran signalled more attacks are coming despite urgent calls from world leaders to de-escalate to avoid all-out war. The region is already on edge as Israel makes a new push to eliminate the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas in Gaza after 20 months of fighting. Israel — which is widely believed to have a nuclear weapons program — said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days also killed nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. Iran's U.N. ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 were wounded. Centre forms high-level panel for aviation accident guidelines Following the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad, the Centre on Saturday announced the setting up of a high-level committee headed by the Home Secretary to suggest 'comprehensive guidelines' to respond to aviation accidents. The order issued by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation says the committee will 'focus on formulating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future'. The order states that it will not substitute other enquiries by relevant organisations, referring to the main accident probe conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which recovered the black box on Friday. The committee will publish its report within three months. Apart from the Home Secretary, who will be the Chairperson, the high-level committee will include the Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs; representatives of the State Home Department and the State Disaster Response Authority of Gujarat; the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner; the Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security; the Director General of Civil Aviation; the Director General of Inspection and Safety, Indian Air Force; the Special Director, Intelligence Bureau; and the Director, Directorate of Forensic Science Services. The four-point scope of the committee defined in the order states it will 'ascertain the root cause of the [Air India Boeing 787] crash' and its contributing factors, including mechanical failure, human error, weather conditions, and regulatory compliances. The committee will also recommend necessary improvements, and formulate suitable SOPs to prevent such incidents in the future, including best international practices. The committee will also assess the emergency response by various stakeholders, including rescue operations and coordination among them, and suggest roles for various agencies and organisations to deal with post-crash incident handling and management. The committee will also suggest policy changes, operational improvements, and training enhancements to prevent such occurrences, and to handle post-crash incident situations. The committee will have access to all records, including flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, air traffic control logs, and witness testimonies. It will conduct site inspections and interview crew, air traffic controllers, and relevant personnel. It will also collaborate with international agencies if foreign nationals or aircraft manufacturers are involved. Four Maoists, including three women, killed in ongoing encounter in M.P's Balaghat At least four Maoists, three of them women, have been killed in an ongoing encounter between security forces and Maoists in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district on Saturday, the police said. Madhya Pradesh's anti-Maoists Hawk Force Commandant Shiyaz K.M. told The Hindu that the encounter was under way in the Pachamdadar and Katejhiriya areas of the Sonewani forest area. Shiyaz said a search operation was launched in multiple parts of the district's dense forest areas based on inputs from the Maoist movement. 'Combing efforts are going on in multiple areas and the encounter will continue at least till tomorrow,' he said, adding that heavy rains in the area had made the operation more challenging. Shiyaz said the operatives belonged to the Malajkhand unit of the GRB (Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat) Division of the Maoists. 'We had received input of their movement a couple of days ago after which multiple parties were deployed for a search operation. During one such search, firing started from their side and our personnel responded,' the officer said. The encounter is part of a joint operation by the Madhya Pradesh Police's Hawk Force and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), he said. Special Director-General (Anti-Maoist Operations) Pankaj Shrivastav told The Hindu that the four cadres were killed in two separate encounters and that a self-loading rifle (SLR), two .315 rifles, a grenade launcher and other ammunition were recovered from them. 'We cannot divulge much information, as it is an ongoing operation. The forces and officers are currently in the forest. It has also been raining heavily there today, which is adding to the challenge but we are continuing the search operation. The encounter is likely to continue till tomorrow,' he said. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav congratulated the security forces and dubbed the encounter as a major success for the campaign to end Maoism by March 2026, a deadline set by the Union Government. 'Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji, the State has achieved a major success in the campaign to eradicate Maoism by March 2026,' he said on X. 'The search is still on, in which a large number of police officers and personnel are engaged. Hearty congratulations to our indomitable soldiers and senior police officers of the State for this success,' CM Yadav said. In brief: J&K L-G reopens 16 tourist destinations closed after Pahalgam attack Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday reopened 16 of 48 destinations that had been closed in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead on April 22, 2025. He also announced that this would be followed by the phased reopening of the remaining tourist spots. Of the 16 spots, eight were from the Jammu region and eight from the Kashmir region. In the Jammu division, the spots selected were Sarthal, Baggar, Devi Pindi, Sehar Baba Waterfall, Sulha Park, Gul Danda, Jai Valley and Panchari. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
