231 Victims Identified in Ahmedabad Plane Crash; 210 Bodies Handed Over to Families

GG News Bureau
Ahmedabad, 20th June: Over a week after the catastrophic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad that claimed 270 lives, officials confirmed on Friday that 231 victims have been identified through DNA testing, and the bodies of 210 have been handed over to their families.

The London-bound flight, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed shortly after take-off on June 12, slamming into a medical complex in the city’s Meghaninagar area. All but one person on board perished, along with nearly 29 people on the ground.

“DNA matching has been carried out to identify the severely charred or disfigured remains,” said Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. “As of Friday evening, 231 DNA matches have been confirmed, and 210 mortal remains have been released to the next of kin.”

The victims whose remains have been returned include:

• 166 Indians
• 36 British nationals
• 7 Portuguese nationals
• 1 Canadian national

Joshi added that 155 of the Indian victims were passengers on the ill-fated aircraft, while others were casualties on the ground. Indian victims hailed from across the country, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Diu, and Nagaland.

The Gujarat government had earlier stated that DNA samples were collected from 250 victims — encompassing those on board and those killed in the impacted medical complex.

Authorities continue efforts to complete the identification process and provide closure to grieving families. A full investigation into the crash is underway.