Ahmedabad: At least 190 victims of last week’s Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad have so far been identified through DNA tests and 159 bodies, including of 32 foreign nationals, handed over to their families, officials said on Wednesday.
The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board the plane died along with nearly 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into a medical complex.
Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or damaged.
“Till Wednesday morning, 190 DNA samples have been matched, and 159 bodies have already been handed over to the respective families. The process of matching (DNA samples of) other bodies is still on,” Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi told reporters.
The 159 victims whose mortal remains have been handed over to their relatives included 127 Indians, four Portuguese nationals, 27 British nationals and one Canadian, he said.
Among the bodies of 127 Indians given to their kin were four victims killed on the ground and 123 on board the flight, said Joshi.
Following the crash, 71 injured persons were admitted to hospitals, he said.
“Of them, only seven are currently undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital, while 12 other patients are admitted to private hospitals in Ahmedabad and Dahod. Three patients lost their lives during treatment here (civil hospital),” Joshi said.
The state government had earlier stated that samples of 250 victims, including persons on board the ill-fated flight as well as those killed on the ground, were collected for identification.
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