The bodies of 260 people who lost their lives in the Air India-171 plane crash have been handed over to their family members, said Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Rakesh Joshi said on Monday.
Of the victims, 254 were identified via DNA matching, while six were identified through facial recognition.
“I can confirm that a total of 254 DNA matches were made, all identified and handed over. Six were identified through facial recognition, and they were also handed over. So, in total, 260 bodies were identified and returned to their family members,” Joshi told ANI.
He further clarified that out of the 260 bodies handed over, 241 were passengers and 19 were non-passengers.
“Of the 241 passengers, 181 were Indians, 52 were British, seven were Portuguese, and one was Canadian,” said Joshi.
The last victim to be identified through DNA testing was Anil Khimani, reported news agency PTI. The 35-year-old, a mason by trade and father of two young daughters, was on his way to London to visit relatives when the tragedy took place.
Joshi said that the task of identifying the victims had been challenging, but the health department and police worked in collaboration to complete it within 13 days.
“It was a very difficult task, and I wouldn’t say I managed it alone. It was a great team effort. We were supported and guided by our seniors and administrators. Not only the health department but also the police department, the corporation, and all others worked together. Every department collectively worked to handle this challenging situation or disaster. Ultimately, everything was completed within 13 days,” he added.
On June 12, a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Ahmedabad crashed into a hostel complex at BJ Medical College, outside the airport perimeter, shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The tragedy claimed 241 lives out of the 242 people on board, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash and working diligently to analyse the data retrieved from the black boxes of Air India Flight AI-171 at their lab in New Delhi.
(With ANI and PTI inputs)