More than 250 Air India plane crash victims identified
More than 250 people killed in an India plane crash have been identified through DNA testing, a hospital official said on Sunday as specialists near a final toll for one of the worst air disasters in decades.
All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when the Air India plane smashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad, where at least 38 more died.
Such was the level of destruction that more than two dozen believed killed remain unidentified 10 days after the jet came down.
"The results of the DNA sample matches for 251 have arrived," said Rakesh Joshi, medical superintendent at Ahmedabad's civil hospital.
The remains of 245 of them have been handed to relatives and include 176 Indians, 49 British, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 identified publicly only as non-passengers.
"In my opinion, the DNA matching process will soon be completed," Joshi said in a video message.
"We are with the remaining families who will be informed by phone as soon as possible," he added.
The remains of 26 victims were flown to their families, including 10 to the United Kingdom.
Air India said Thursday the plane was "well-maintained" and that the pilots were accomplished flyers.
Investigators have retrieved the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder for analysis, as they attempt to find out what caused the London-bound jet to hurtle to the ground moments after takeoff.
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