Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, Jun 16: In the aftermath of the tragic Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, hospital authorities have identified 80 victims through DNA testing, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Dr Rajnish Patel, additional civil superintendent and professor at B J Medical College, informed PTI that bodies of 33 victims have already been handed over to their families. “The identified victims include residents from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Kheda, Botad and other districts,” he said.

The devastating crash, which occurred on June 12 shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, claimed the lives of 241 of the 242 onboard, including passengers and crew. Additionally, 29 people on the ground were killed when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plummeted into the premises of a medical college complex. A lone survivor remains from the flight.

Among the deceased, the passing of former CM Rupani has cast a shadow of mourning across Gujarat. The state government has declared a day of mourning on Monday in his honour. His funeral procession is scheduled in Rajkot this evening.

Of the 51 injured in the crash, 38 have been discharged while 13 are still undergoing treatment, Dr Patel confirmed.

Gujarat state relief commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said that relatives of all 230 deceased passengers have been contacted. “Only three families are yet to provide DNA samples as they live abroad and are expected to arrive by tomorrow. We are also issuing death certificates along with the bodies to avoid legal hassles for the families,” he stated.