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Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Indian Express
Ahmedabad air crash: Around 15 human remains found from crash site, consent forms to decide fate
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.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Last DNA match done, 260 bodies handed over: Min
Ahmedabad: A gruelling fortnight-long exercise to identify all victims of AI flight 171 finally ended on Friday, with forensic experts finding a DNA match for 32-year-old passenger Anil Khimani. His was the last sample out of 241 passengers and crew that perished in the tragedy, which the experts were toiling to match. Khimani was a native of Dahisara village near Bhuj. His mortal remains were handed over to the family on Saturday, confirmed Civil Hospital officials. With the update, state health minister Rushikesh Patel, in a release, stated that bodies of 260 victims of the air tragedy, which includes 241 passengers and crew and 19 killed on the ground, have been identified and handed over to their kin. Those on board included 181 Indian nationals, 52 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. Out of the total, 31 were flown for the last rites, whereas the rest were sent by road. "Out of the Indian victims, 73 are from Ahmedabad, 29 from Anand, 24 from Vadodara, 14 from Diu, 13 from Maharashtra, 12 from Surat, and 11 from Kheda among others," the minister stated in the release. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Health department officials said that none of the samples given by relatives remain unmatched. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo "In case any remains are found from the crash site, identification will be carried out," said a senior official. Meanwhile, sources saidthat Khimani, who had travelled to other countries for work, was flying to the UK for the first time. His family had been desperately praying for the match. Khimani is survived by his wife and children, the sources said.
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
After an ‘agonising' wait, body of last AI-171 passenger handed over to family
A late-night call from the Gujarat government on Friday confirmed the DNA match for 32-year-old Anil Khimani, a passenger on the ill-fated Air India AI-171 flight that crashed on June 12. The news, after an 'agonising' wait, brought renewed grief to the Khimani family in Kutch district's Dahinsara village despite having performed a 'symbolic funeral' the previous day, seeking closure. The family will now be holding a second funeral back at their native place. Anil Khimani's brother, Rakesh, told The Indian Express on Saturday, 'We received a call late on Friday night and were told that my brother's body has been found… It will at least give us the solace of knowing that we were able to give him a respectful farewell. Otherwise, we would have been hounded with a lifelong guilt that we could not even find his body.' On Saturday, members of the Khimani family arrived in Ahmedabad to collect his mortal remains and head back to their village to perform the final rites. Anil Khimani, a skilled tile setter known for his precision in the village, was a passenger, who boarded the ill-fated flight on Seat 21G, as per the flight manifest. He was travelling to the UK for the first time, at the invitation from his 'distant relatives' on a visitor visa for six months. Anil's body was the final one among the 260 confirmed fatalities, including 241 passengers of AI-171, to be identified via DNA matching. Adding that the family would perform the final rites with the mortal remains as soon as it arrives in Kutch on Saturday, Rakesh said that the wait for the family had been an 'agonising one'. 'After the crash, my father first gave his DNA sample but we received a call a few days later saying that no match had been found and another member should submit a sample. So, I took my mother from Kutch to Ahmedabad but no match was found until Friday night… At one point, we thought, we would not be able to find his body. So, with the advice of our community priests, we performed the last rites on Thursday with an effigy…' Rakesh adds that receiving Anil's body will help the family grieve. He said, 'We do not know if the pain will ever go away… We can never see him again and what happened was unimaginable. But finding his body will help us grieve and try to cope with life without him…'
