“A Week After Tragedy, 211 AI Crash Victims Identified Through DNA; 189 Bodies Returned to Families”

Ahmedabad, Jun 19: A week after 270 people died in the Air India (AI) plane crash in Ahmedabad, 211 victims have been identified so far through DNA matching, while 189 bodies handed over to their families, an official said on Thursday.
The London-bound flight AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members smashed into a medical complex moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on June 12. All but one on board the plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, died along with 29 people on the ground.
Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or severely damaged.
“Till Thursday morning, 211 DNA samples have been matched, and 189 bodies handed over to respective families,” Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi told reporters.