Ahmedabad plane crash: 190 victims identified by DNA tests, 159 bodies handed over to kin

Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or damaged

Ahmedabad: At least 190 victims of last week’s Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad have so far been identified through DNA matching and 159 bodies handed over to their families, an official said on Wednesday.

The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board the plane died along with nearly 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into a medical complex.

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Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or damaged. “Till Wednesday morning, 190 DNA samples have been matched, and 159 bodies have already been handed over to the respective families. The process of matching (DNA samples of) other bodies is still on,” Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi told reporters.

The State government had earlier stated that samples of 250 victims, including persons on board the ill-fated flight as well as those killed on the ground, were collected for identification.