DNA test identifies last victim of Ahmedabad plane crash; death toll stands at 260
AHMEDABAD: More than two weeks after the Ahmedabad plane crash, the DNA test has ascertained the identity of the last victim, and the death toll in the tragedy now stands at 260, officials said on Saturday.
The mortal remains of the last victim were handed over to the family, they said.
The medical authorities had earlier pegged the fatality count at 270.
A London-bound Air India flight crashed into a hostel complex in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the city on June 12, killing 241 on board and several others on the ground. One passenger miraculously survived.
"The DNA matching of the last body of the Air India plane crash victim has been done. The victim's mortal remains have been handed over to relatives," Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Dr Rakesh Joshi said.
"With this, the death toll in the plane crash is 260," he said, adding that three patients, who suffered injuries in the air crash, were undergoing treatment in the civil hospital.
The bodies of all 260 victims have been handed over to the relatives so far.
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Hindustan Times
19 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
DNA profiling for plane crash victims ends, toll stands at 260
Ahmedabad: The final human toll in the Air India Flight 171 tragedy stands at 260 people, officials in Gujarat announced, two weeks after the Boeing 787 crashed shortly after take-off from the city's only airport in the deadliest aviation incident in the country in three decades. Forensic experts and DGCA officials searching for evidence at Air India Plane crash site. (HT PHOTO) The final death toll of 260 — comprising 241 passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft and 19 people killed on the ground — is lower than initial estimates of 270 fatalities. 'The plane crash death toll stands at 260. We will not reveal victim identities. All bodies have been recovered and identified, with the mortal remains of all of them handed over to their families,' additional chief secretary of health and family welfare Dhananjay Dwivedi told HT. Dr Rakesh Joshi, the head of Ahmedabad civil hospital, told HT that all remains were identified and verified using DNA matching and facial recognition. 'The last body, of a passenger, was identified on Friday night using DNA match,' Joshi said. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college hostel complex approximately 30 seconds after take-off on 12 June from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, destroying portions of the building and bursting into flames. Among the victims were junior doctors, staff at the hospital complex and people on the street below. One passenger, in what has been described as a providential escape, walked out of the crash after he was thrown further away from the burning wreckage. The impact of the crash and the inferno that followed meant remains of most victims, except for most of the 19 casualties on the ground, were unrecognisable, requiring officials to seek DNA samples from family members to help make the identification. 'Four of the people were brought in alive but succumbed to their injuries during treatment. In all, 71 people were injured and hospitalised, with most treated at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and others at Zydus Hospital, KD Hospital, and Apollo Hospital. Of these, 67 patients have been discharged from medical facilities,' said Dwivedi. An official aware of the development said that the final DNA matching was that of Anil Khimani, 32, from Bhuj in Kutch, adding that the condition of those discharged is said to be stable. Among the 260 deaths, 254 victims were identified through DNA testing and the remaining through facial recognition. The DNA identification process, which typically takes months, was completed in approximately two weeks, experts said. A total of 318 body parts were recovered from the crash site at Meghaninagar, said a senior police official, asking not to be named. One forensics experts who worked on the cases said the challenge was such that one of the living remains that were recovered later turned out to be that of a bird -- a confirmation that came only after repeated attempts to extract information from a deteriorated sample once it did not throw up any match. Dr Bhargav Patel, head of the Centre of Excellence in DNA Forensics at NFSU, said his team of 32 scientists and PhD scholars processed more than 150 DNA samples from crash victims. DNA samples from 250 relatives were collected at Ahmedabad Forensic Science Laboratory, whilst matching was conducted at FSL Gandhinagar and NFSU. Bodies have been repatriated across multiple states and countries, with Ahmedabad receiving the largest number at 73, followed by Anand with 29 and Vadodara with 24. Thirteen bodies were sent to the United Kingdom. The aircraft took off at 1:39 pm local time and reached an altitude of 625 feet before losing signal, according to flight tracking data. The crew issued a mayday call reporting loss of power and thrust less than a minute after takeoff. The crash marked the first fatal accident and hull loss of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011. It represents India's deadliest aviation disaster since the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation with assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board and British investigators. Both flight data recorders have been recovered from the crash site.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
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Need a regulator for flying coffins
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India Gazette
5 hours ago
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Passenger misbehaves with woman crew member on Dubai-Jaipur Air India Express flight, airline files complaint
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): A man allegedly misbehaved with a woman crew member onboard a Jaipur-bound Air India Express flight from Dubai after consuming alcohol on Saturday, sources confirmed. The incident occurred during the flight duration. The passenger, in an inebriated state, behaved inappropriately with a member of the cabin crew. Upon landing at Jaipur International Airport, the crew immediately reported the matter to airport security. Following the crew's complaint, the police were informed, and a formal complaint was filed by the airline. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, sources said. 'The airline has submitted a formal complaint. The matter is under investigation by the relevant authorities,' a source familiar with the development said. No further details about the identity of the accused passenger or the specific nature of the misconduct were disclosed as the investigation is ongoing. In another incident, Air India confirmed an incident of disruptive passenger behaviour aboard flight AI454 from Amritsar to Delhi on Saturday, prompting intervention from cabin crew and airport security. Air India confirmed that an incident of unruly passenger behaviour occurred on board flight AI454 from Amritsar to Delhi on 28 June. 'During cabin preparations for landing, a member of our cabin crew noticed a passenger standing in the aisle, engaged in a verbal altercation with another passenger. The second passenger reported to the crew that the individual was being abusive,' the airline said. Air India's crew acted swiftly to de-escalate the situation, relocating the affected passenger to a business-class seat for the remainder of the flight. Upon landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, the airline's security team--previously alerted by the pilot--was on standby to address the issue. The disruptive individual was handed over to airport security for further investigation. 'Our cabin crew immediately de-escalated the situation by relocating the second passenger to a business-class seat for the duration of the landing. Following a complaint by the second passenger, the pilot-in-command notified our security team on the ground about the situation, who were present upon the flight's arrival in Delhi. The disruptive passenger was handed over to the airport security for further investigation,' the airline said. Air India maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards disruptive behaviour and prioritises the safety and well-being of all passengers and crew,' a spokesperson said. 'We will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities, and the matter is now under their purview,' the airline added. In line with guidelines set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), airlines are required to take such incidents seriously. Under DGCA norms, carriers must establish an internal committee to investigate the matter and determine any necessary action, including the possibility of placing the passenger on India's no-fly list. (ANI)
