AI crash: 162 victims identified, 120 bodies handed over

Five days after an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad claimed 270 lives, 162 victims have so far been identified through DNA matching and 120 bodies handed over to their families, a Gujarat minister said on Tuesday.

Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or badly damaged in the deadly June 12 crash. 

“Till 3.30 pm on Tuesday, DNA samples of 162 crash victims had been successfully matched, and 120 bodies handed over to the respective families. Remaining mortal remains will be released soon (after identification),” Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said in a statement. Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Rakesh Joshi earlier expressed hope that the DNA profiling of all the victims will be completed by either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

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, had been collected for identification. The process involves comparing DNA profiles from deceased victims with those of their family members to identify the deceased.

This process is crucial when bodies are severely damaged or charred beyond recognition. DNA samples are collected from both the deceased and family members and matched to identify the deceased through scientific techniques.

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