As authorities begin returning the remains of the victims from the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, emotional scenes have unfolded at the Civil Hospital, where families are pleading for the full bodies of their loved ones to perform final rites.
According to officials, 270 bodies have been brought to the hospital’s mortuary after the tragic crash, which took place on Thursday. Of these, 241 were passengers and crew on the ill-fated flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport. The remaining 29 casualties were students and residents of a hostel at BJ Medical College, where the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off.
A report by The Times of India (TOI) highlighted the distress of the grieving families, many of whom are requesting that complete remains be returned rather than partial remains. One relative was seen pleading with hospital authorities for the remains of multiple family members, only to be told that it was not possible due to the condition of the bodies and ongoing identification procedures.
“It was hard to convince him,” an official was quoted as saying, underlining the deep trauma and emotional toll the tragedy has inflicted on families.
DNA Testing Faces Hurdles
The DNA sampling process is being carried out under the supervision of Dr. Rajnish Patel, Additional Medical Superintendent of BJ Medical College. So far, 32 victims have been identified through DNA tests, and 12 bodies have been handed over to their respective families. Of these, eight required no DNA testing, as visual identification was possible.
However, the process has not been without complications. In one shocking instance, a body bag was found to contain two heads, prompting officials to redo DNA sampling. “This will require the DNA process to be repeated as the parts belong to two victims and shouldn’t be in the same bag,” a senior hospital official told TOI.
Such issues have only prolonged the anguish of waiting families, who continue to gather outside the mortuary hoping for clarity and closure.
First Fatal Crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Thursday’s incident has been confirmed as the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a wide-body aircraft introduced in 2011. The aircraft, operated by Air India, took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, but crashed minutes later into a student hostel, killing nearly everyone on board.
Among the 242 passengers and crew, only one person survived a 40-year-old Indian-origin British national, who is currently undergoing treatment.
The scale of the tragedy has drawn international attention, with experts from both the United States and the United Kingdom arriving in India to assist in a multi-national investigation into the crash. Investigators are expected to examine factors such as engine failure, flight data, and weather conditions.
As India mourns one of its deadliest aviation disasters, families wait anxiously for their loved ones’ remains, pushing for respectful and complete final rites.
