Ahmedabad air crash: Around 15 human remains found from crash site, consent forms to decide fate

Indian Express

12 hours ago

As the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital is gradually returning to normalcy nearly three weeks after Air India flight AI 171 crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel, killing 241 passengers and crew members, along with 19 on the ground on June 12, more human remains were found from the crash site.
On June 28, the health department, through the hospital, had handed over the body of the last passenger, Anil Khimani from Kutch, after a prolonged process of DNA extraction from charred remains of it.
In all, 260 people have been confirmed dead after the Gatwick-bound Boeing 787 aircraft crashed. Of them, 254 had been identified by matching DNA samples, and six through facial recognition. Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, who was on board the aircraft, is the lone survivor of the crash.
The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital still has 15 remains or exhibits found from the crash site, the last one — a femur bone — having been recovered as recently as June 27. The process of DNA extraction is underway and the same will be matched with the referral samples and handed over to the respective families after the identities are confirmed, Health department officials told The Indian Express.
Sources revealed that families of victims have filled consent forms when the bodies were handed over, In these forms, they have mentioned whether they will come to claim in case more body parts are found later or allow the hospital authorities to undertake the process as per protocol, or wait till the entire process of search and investigation is over. Officials said, 'It is difficult to provide a timeline. Thus, most of the families have chosen from the first two options — depending upon which, families will be contacted and required process will be undertaken this week. 'For these 15 exhibits, the final call will be taken based upon the consent forms, which the families filled when they were handed over the bodies,' a senior health official told this paper.
Families were handed over remains of charred bodies, or remains that matched with their DNA samples, in sealed coffins, and were advised to not open them.
Out of the 260 bodies, 31 were flown by air by the state government, including 13 sent to the UK. The state government arranged transportation for the remaining 229.
'We are coming back to our old routine, though with heavy hearts,' BJ Medical College Dean Dr Meenakshi Parikh told The Indian Express as classes resumed on June 23.
BJ Medical College's Kasauti Bhawan, which was repurposed into a centre for DNA sample collections from the relatives of the victims, has now been holding exams for students. The prelim examinations for undergraduate MBBS students commenced last week.
'With only two DNA samples left to be collected from the victims' relatives who are British nationals, the facilities from the Kasauti Bhawan were wound up on June 21 and shifted to the D2 ward near the Trauma Centre. The first exam was conducted there on June 26,' Dr Parikh added.
Kasauti Bhawan was selected for the DNA collection centre considering its capacity of nearly 700 people and the fact that it was away from the Trauma Centre. Earlier, for a very brief period, the E1 ward of the Civil Hospital was designated for the purpose, but soon, the centre was shifted to Kasauti Bhawan.
'At the facility set up at Kasauti Bhawan, we have even collected samples from seven people at a time. The entire process — from DNA sample collection to handing over of the body — went in a planned and well-co-ordinated manner with the help of several agencies,' Dr Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent at the hospital, told this paper.