Ahmedabad: Over a week after the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, authorities have identified 231 victims through DNA testing, with the remains of 210 victims already handed over to their families, a senior health official confirmed on Friday.
The London-bound flight, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, slamming into a medical complex in the densely populated Meghaninagar area of the city. The horrific crash killed nearly everyone on board—except for one survivor—and claimed the lives of 29 people on the ground, bringing the death toll to 270.
Due to the intensity of the crash and subsequent fire, many of the bodies were severely charred or disfigured, making identification through visual means impossible. Authorities launched a large-scale DNA matching operation to confirm identities before releasing the bodies to the families.
“By Friday evening, DNA results had confirmed the identities of 231 victims. Families of these victims have been contacted, and we have handed over the mortal remains of 210 individuals so far,” said Dr. Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, which is coordinating the identification and handover process.
Among the 210 victims whose bodies have been returned are 166 Indian nationals, 36 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian. Of the 166 Indians identified, 155 were confirmed to have been on board the ill-fated flight.
The Indian victims hailed from various states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Diu, and Nagaland, Joshi added.
The Gujarat government had earlier announced that DNA samples from 250 victims—comprising both those onboard the aircraft and those killed on the ground—had been collected for forensic analysis. The massive identification effort has involved coordination between hospitals, forensic labs, and embassies to ensure timely repatriation of remains to grieving families across India and abroad.
Authorities continue to process the remaining samples as investigations into the cause of the crash also move forward.
