Latest news with #VinyMishra
The Print
a day ago
- Health
- The Print
Not enough cold storage, Air India crash victims' bodies in AC mortuary—inside Civil Hospital's morgue
ThePrint had, last night, witnessed several bodies on the floor of the post-mortem room at Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, before they were eventually moved to the mortuary. With cold storage capacity limited, the bodies, that should ideally be stored at 2-6 degrees Celsius, are currently kept in the air-conditioned mortuary of Civil Hospital Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad: In the wake of the Air India tragedy, the authorities in Ahmedabad are racing to complete DNA sampling so that bodies of victims of Air India Flight 171 can be identified and handed over to their families. Hospital sources said the city's combined morgue facilities, including those at the Civil Hospital, simply do not have enough cold storage capacity to accommodate so many bodies. Only a handful of other hospitals in Ahmedabad have cold storage, and even that is limited. 'At Asarwa Civil Hospital, where the bodies have currently been taken, there is cold storage space for only 36. Across Ahmedabad, total capacity is just 66—36 at Asarwa, 18 at Sola Civil Hospital, and 12 at VS Hospital—according to a senior doctor at Asarwa. During a media briefing, ThePrint asked Minakshi Parikh, professor and Dean of BJ Medical College, about the storage capacity constraints, but she did not respond. Doctors are working to to preserve the bodies until DNA identification can be completed and matched with samples from relatives. Many families are still in the process of submitting their DNA for testing But in this heat, bodies are now decomposing fast. 'All bodies were shifted to the mortuary complex. We cleaned this area but the smell of dead bodies is still in the air,' said a medical staff member of the post-mortem room. The yellow building of the post-mortem complex is locked and a security guard has been posted to stop anyone from entering. According to sources, by 15 June, DNA reports of those relatives who gave their samples on Thursday night should be ready. Only then can the victims' bodies be matched with their relatives. 'But all the bodies are highly charred. Doctors can't even identify them,' said a doctor who is part of the DNA sampling team, on condition of anonymity. He said collecting the samples was not an easy task considering the condition of the bodies. At the BJ medical College, collection of samples from the victims' families is underway. A dedicated team of around 30 lab technicians were manning five desks collecting samples. The aircraft, carrying 242 people, including 230 passengers, 10 crew members, and two pilots, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College's boys hostel on Thursday. Tata Sons, who owned the aircraft, announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to each family and the civil aviation ministry has ordered a high level probe. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Charred remains to make DNA matching in Air India crash challenging, says forensic university in Gujarat
The Print
a day ago
- Science
- The Print
India will soon have its own satellites to monitor spy satellites. How the technology works
'India will be focusing on improving its presence in space in the coming years. This initiative will be a part of that larger aim,' a senior ISRO official said. The project being undertaken by the Defence Ministry, which is in the process of being finalised, will have 'satellite mapping' capabilities and will be fully made in India, senior officials from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told ThePrint. New Delhi: Spy satellites to monitor other spy satellites. India will soon have its own constellation of satellites to keep an eye out for other satellites that might be surveilling India. This network of satellites will enhance India's space domain awareness and will also help monitor orbital threats in real-time. The project is being overseen under NETRA, a Network for Tracking Space Objects and Analysis, which detects space debris and other hazardous space objects. The official said that while ISRO will partner with the MoD in overseeing the overall design and monitoring of these satellites, a private Bengaluru-based space start-up, Digantara, has been contracted to deploy these satellites within the next year. How does satellite mapping work? The capabilities of monitoring foreign satellites is being acquired by countries including the US, Russia and China. These satellites have propulsion and guidance systems that utilise factors such as orbital inclinations and altitudes to get information and photographs from a potential target satellite. Some of these satellites are also capable of intercepting inter-satellite communications and links to ground stations. Varying versions of such technology are either already deployed or are currently being tested. In 2020, the US Space Command—an agency responsible for tracking all objects in orbit—flagged that the Russian satellite Kosmos 2543 had released an unknown object into space. This was believed to be a test of a new technology that could be used to destroy objects already in orbit. The Russian satellite released this tech in close proximity to another Russian satellite. 'Space is increasingly becoming a weapon for countries. Battles will no longer be limited to just the ground, but will also be fought in space. And countries need to be ready for it,' the ISRO official said. Focus on active orbital security India is already working on increasing its defence capabilities in space. Its next 'spy satellite programme', space-based surveillance-3 or SBS-3, will launch a constellation of 52 surveillance satellites in the coming two years. Three private space startups, Ananth Technologies, Centum Electronics and Alpha Design Technologies, have joined hands with the government to give shape to this project. The Rs 27,000 crore project is set to significantly improve India's national security capabilities. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: DRDO eyes persistent high-altitude surveillance edge as Stratospheric Airship soars in maiden trial
The Print
2 days ago
- The Print
DGCA enhances safety inspections of Air India's Boeing Dreamliner fleet
The DGCA's enforcement order Friday lists out the checks the airliner has to carry out on its Boeing 787-8/9 fleet from 15 June. The Boeing 787-8/9 fleet is owned by the Tata Group. The Boeing Dreamliner was leaving from Ahmedabad for London's Gatwick airport. However, minutes after take off, the aircraft crashed into a medical college building. At least five medical students also lost their lives in the crash, and several others were injured. New Delhi: The DGCA has ordered enhanced safety inspection of Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft in the aftermath of Thursday's crash that killed 241 of the 242 people on board. These checks before departure include inspection of fuel parameter monitoring and associated system checks, inspection of cabin air compressor and associated systems. Additionally, checks will also have to be conducted on the Electronic Engine Control- System Test, the Engine Fuel Driven Actuator-Operational Test and oil system check. Serviceability checks of hydraulic system The aviation watchdog has also asked Air India to conduct serviceability checks of the hydraulic system, and review of the take-off parameters. Moreover, the DGCA has also directed that 'Flight Control Inspection' be introduced in transit inspection till further notice, in addition to power assurance checks to be carried out in two weeks and closure of maintenance action based upon the review of 'repetitive snags during the last 15 days on B787-8/9 aircraft at the earliest'. The DGCA has sought a report on the above checks for review. The Dreamliner had taken off at 1:39 pm Thursday. A 'Mayday' call was made to the ATC before the crash and the flight crashed near the airport. On Friday, the Black Box was recovered from the roof of the BJ Medical college's hostel building. Meanwhile the process of extracting DNA samples and matching them with that of the family members of the deceased is ongoing. Of the 242 people on board, only one person survived the crash. 10 crew members and the two pilots are among those who died in the crash. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: What are questions around Boeing Dreamliners? Ahmedabad crash is 6th safety incident in 2025
