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 were handed over to their families, an official said on Thursday.
On June 13, officials had said they had expedited the DNA analysis process and will complete it in 72 hours.
“It usually takes about 3 months to analyse an individual’s DNA and issue the report. We have expedited the entire process and will do it within 72 hours,” Dr Saumil P. Merchant, professor and head, department of forensic medicine & toxicology, Narendra Modi medical college said to the Hindustan Times.
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.
Since Thursday, scores of relatives have trooped into Ahmedabad, their wait turning from hours into days as authorities struggled to identify charred bodies and recover samples.
A group of 54 experts across Forensic Science Laboratories in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot are working to carry out profiling and matching tests.
There is still no final word on the official toll on what is India’s worst single-aircraft tragedy that killed all but one of the 242 on board, and at least 30 in the hostel building the AI-171 jet rammed into, or in the neighbourhood.
“Some are complaining that the results have not come even after 72 hours. We’re aiming to complete the DNA identification process for all victims by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. I appeal to them not to panic because this is a very important process with legal implications. We will call them as soon as results arrive,” said Dr. Rakesh Joshi, superintendent of the Civil Hospital to the Hindustan Times on June 17.
The process of DNA profiling of all the victims of the Air India Dreamliner crash is expected to finish by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, a top doctor said on Monday.
“The DNA profiling all the victims will be completed by either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning,” Joshi said. “We are trying our best to finish this process as soon as possible.”
But till Thursday morning, 211 DNA samples have been matched, and 189 bodies handed over to respective families.
The 189 victims whose bodies have been handed over included 142 Indians, 32 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. The mortal remains of seven persons who died on the ground have also been handed over to their relatives, said Joshi.