Air India crash: Mass autopsies underway at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital

A team of 70 to 80 doctors, including medical professionals from Primary and Community Health Centres across Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand, and Nadiad and Civil Hospital staff, have been working tirelessly since Thursday evening.

Ahmedabad: Post-mortem examinations are underway at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital after the Air India plane with 242 onboard crashed minutes after takeoff from here, officials said on Friday.

According to officials, a team of 70 to 80 doctors, including medical professionals from Primary and Community Health Centres across Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand, and Nadiad and Civil Hospital staff, have been working tirelessly since Thursday evening.

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After identification, the bodies are being handed over to grieving families with full dignity and sensitivity.

As of Friday morning, five victims have been identified and their remains returned to their families.

Among them are two individuals from Rajasthan, two from Bhavnagar, and one from Madhya Pradesh. The process continues as more relatives arrive to assist in identifying their loved ones among the deceased.

The hospital administration has urged the relatives and close family members of the deceased to submit DNA samples to facilitate timely identification.

Officials say the DNA testing is being used to identify remains, as many bodies were badly burned in the tragedy.

Civil Hospital has released emergency helpline numbers for those seeking information about patients or the deceased: 6357373831, 6357373841

Meanwhile, Anjali Rupani, wife of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, arrived in Ahmedabad from London on Friday morning, a day after the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 that claimed her husband’s life.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi received her at the airport and offered his condolences.

The same Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner (AI-171) that crashed had previously experienced major technical problems just a month earlier, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled Ahmedabad-to-London flight.

At the time, passengers voiced serious concerns over the airline’s reliance on ageing aircraft, pointing to repeated technical failures that disrupted their travel.

On that particular day, passengers of flight AI-171 endured a frustrating ordeal.

The flight, which was slated to depart from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.10 p.m., was cancelled after travellers were left waiting inside the aircraft for more than two hours. Many had arrived early, expecting a smooth international departure. Boarding began only at 2.00 p.m., and those on board faced stifling conditions as the air conditioning shut off intermittently.

Despite repeated questions, no clear information was provided by the airline crew regarding the delay or a revised departure time.

Eventually, passengers were informed that the flight was being called off due to a technical issue. While Air India did announce full refunds, passengers expressed frustration.