DNA test identifies mortal remains of ex-Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani: Official
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
The DNA samples of the mortal remains of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who was on board the Air India plane which crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, have matched with that of his relatives, a state minister said on Sunday.Rupani was among the 241 passengers killed in the horrific tragedy."The DNA sample of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani matched (with that of his family members) today morning at 11.10 am," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi told reporters.Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met the family members of Rupani and informed them about the DNA match, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said.All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8(AI171) and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students , on the ground were killed in the plane crash on Thursday.The London-bound aircraft came down moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport before falling inside the nearby campus of the Medical College in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad and going up in flames.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Fisherman pulled into sea by suspected marlin off Andhra coast; search underway
A 28-year-old fisherman, Chodapalli Yerayya , has gone missing in the sea after being pulled into deep waters by a large fish—believed to be a black marlin—around 20 nautical miles off the north Andhra coast. Yerayya, a resident of Pudimadaka coastal village in Atchutapuram mandal, Anakapalle district, was fishing with three others when the incident occurred. According to police, Yerayya was using a line fishing method and had just cast his bait when a massive marlin—locally known as 'Kommu Konam'—bit the hook. Caught off guard by the fish's power, Yerayya was dragged into the sea before he could react. Despite frantic efforts by his fellow fishermen and alerts to nearby boats, Yerayya could not be located, raising fears that he may have drowned. This marks the second marlin-related incident in Anakapalle district in recent years. In February 2022, Molli Joganna, another fisherman from the region, was fatally impaled by a black marlin while fishing about 60 nautical miles from the coast. Joganna had entered the water to check a net when the trapped marlin escaped and pierced his abdomen with its sharp snout. He died instantly despite rescue attempts. Black marlins are massive predatory fish, often weighing hundreds of kilograms and capable of swimming at speeds up to 109 km/h in short bursts. Their spear-like beaks make them particularly dangerous when agitated or entangled. Speaking on the recent incident, Atchutapuram SI N. Ganesh confirmed that search operations involving coastal security police and local fisherfolk are ongoing and will resume on Friday. Meanwhile, district fisheries officer G. Vijaya explained that while such incidents are rare, 'a powerful fish like a marlin can potentially drag a fisherman into the sea when it takes the bait.' Live Events Authorities continue to monitor the area and urge fishermen to exercise extreme caution while using line bait techniques in deep-sea waters. [Inputs from TOI] Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Ahmedabad plane crash: UK law firm Keystone flags 2 'serious' questions
Keystone Law, a London-based law firm, on Thursday (local time) flagged two very 'serious' questions in the London-bound Air India flight, which crashed on June 12, minutes after taking off, claiming the lives of at least 270 people. In a statement, Keystone Law announced that it has been formally retained by British families who lost their loved ones in the fatal crash. The two areas of concern include the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployment and loss of thrust in both engines. Air India plane crash On June 12, an Air India flight from Ahmedabad bound for Gatwick, London, crashed into a medical college in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff. The crash claimed the lives of at least 270 people, including 241 people out of 242 people on board and several people on the ground. The sole survivor was an Indian-origin British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who sat on seat 11A, adjacent to the emergency exit. Ramesh managed to escape with injuries through the broken emergency exit. Considered to be Air India's worst tragedy in decades, the case is under investigation, with the Parliament Transport Committee summoning Boeing officials along with the Civil Aviation Secretary. Keystone's statement James Healy-Pratt and Owen Hanna, Keystone's aviation partners, said that they are working closely with several British families, concerning the Coronial process, adding that they are also working closely with the London lawyers, appointed by Air India and its aviation insurers, dealing with interim payments. Pratt, in a statement, said, "This is an incredibly sensitive time for the AI 171 families, and we are supporting them through the various processes in the UK and the US. On the air safety aspects, our technical investigation team believes that the RAT was automatically deployed. This suggests a serious systems failure around the critical point of take-off." He further added, "Serious questions will need to be asked of both Air India and Boeing once the preliminary report is published in the coming weeks. The families of AI 171 want truth and justice, and we stand in solidarity with them.'
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
AI 171 crash: Air India refutes allegations of forcing bereaved families to declare financial dependency
New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): Air India on Friday denied allegations of coercing families of victims of the AI-171 accident into signing documents about their financial dependency on the deceased to reduce compensation payouts. In a detailed statement, the airline called the claims 'unsubstantiated and inaccurate.' The controversy surfaced following reports that some of the bereaved families were being compelled to disclose financial ties to their deceased loved ones--allegedly as a prerequisite for receiving compensation. However, the airlines clarified that the request for such information was a part of a standard process to ensure that interim compensation reached the rightful beneficiaries promptly. In an official statement, the airlines stated, 'It has come to our notice that allegations have been made against the company claiming that families of the deceased in the AI-171 accident are being forced to sign papers disclosing their financial dependency on the deceased, in an attempt to slash compensation payments.' 'Efforts are being made by the airlines to process the payment of the interim compensation (also referred to as advance compensation) as soon as possible, to meet the immediate financial needs of affected family members, with the first payments having been made within days of the accident. However, Air India cannot process these payments in an information vacuum,' it added. 'To facilitate payments, the airlines have sought basic information to establish family relationships to ensure that the advance payments are received by those entitled to them. Whilst the questionnaire does ask family members to indicate with a 'yes' or 'no' as to whether they are 'financially dependent' on the deceased, the airline believes that the process is entirely fair and necessary in order to process the payments to those most in need of assistance. Starting June 15, a Facilitation Centre was established by the airline at the Taj Skyline hotel in Ahmedabad, where the questionnaire relating to interim compensation was made available,' it said. 'In addition, families were sent communications informing them that the questionnaire was also available over e-mail, if families did not wish to visit the Centre. Air India staff present at the Centre explained the elements of the questionnaire to family members. There is no requirement for family members to complete the questionnaire at the Centre, and several families have chosen to complete the questionnaire at their convenience and submit it over e-mail. Families who chose to complete the questionnaire at the Centre were provided with copies of their submissions at their request, ' the airline further said. The airlines further stated that families of the victims, in addition to raising questions to the staff of the airlines, were also free to seek any legal advice if needed. Furthermore, the airlines had mentioned that the forms being filled by the bereaved families at the hospitals or morgues were completely unconnected with the compensation. However, some forms have also been filled out for official records. 'No visits have been made by the airlines to the residences of the families solely to fill up the questionnaires connected to the interim compensation or for any other purposes. Additionally, an interim compensation has been disbursed to the 47 families so far, and the airline also remains in active dialogue to expedite the release of funds to the rest of the bereaved families. The documents relating to the rest 55 individuals have also been verified, and interim compensation is being released progressively to their families. We continue to be in dialogue with other families of the passengers and those deceased at the accident site, or their authorised representatives, to release the compensation at the earliest. As a part of the Tata Group, the airline upholds core values of integrity and responsibility and remains committed to serving the community, especially during challenging times,' Air India said. 'In addition to any compensation that will be provided by Air India, the Tata Group has announced a voluntary ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore or approximately GBP 85,000 to the families of each of the deceased. A trust with a corpus of around Rs 500 crore or approximately GBP 43 million is being set up to manage and disburse this ex-gratia amount and provide long-term assistance to the families. These families will forever be part of the Tata family. All these efforts are voluntary and in addition to any compensation payable by Air India under law,' the airline said. Additionally, Air India has also urged the public to be cautious of any misinformation and avoid the misinterpretation of facts. (ANI)
