Ahmedabad Plane Crash: 32 Victims Identified, 14 Bodies Handed Over
12 families claim remains; DNA test of ex-CM Vijay Rupani underway
New Delhi: The mortal remains of 32 victims of the June 12 Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad have been identified through a DNA test and 14 bodies have been handed over to the families, officials said on Sunday. DNA matching also confirmed the identity of former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, who was among the 241 people who lost their lives on board the ill-fated aircraft. Meanwhile, investigations into the plane crash intensified.
According to reports from Ahmedabad, various Central and state government agencies, led by the aircraft accident investigation bureau (AAIB), were at the crash site for a probe into the causes of the country's worst air disaster in three decades.
As the process to identify the deceased through DNA tests gained pace three days after the tragedy, additional civil superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel told the media that so far, 32 victims have been identified and the mortal remains of 14 were handed over to the relatives.
"The DNA sample of Vijay Rupani matched (with that of his family members) today morning at 11.10 am," Gujarat minister of state for home Harsh Sanghavi told reporters in Gandhinagar. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel met the family members of Vijay Rupani and informed them about the DNA match, state health minister Rushikesh Patel said.
"Till now, 32 DNA samples have matched, and 14 bodies have already been handed over to the respective families. These deceased were from Udaipur, Vadodara, Kheda, Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Botad districts," said professor of surgery at the government-run B.J. Medical College Rajnish Patel.
An AAIB team is leading the investigations. They have been here for the last three days, a senior state police official said, adding that various central agencies and the state police are assisting in the probe into the horrific tragedy.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani called the recovery of the black box of the ill-fated plane an important milestone in the investigation process.
"When the investigation started, the black box had to be recovered. The black box is either in the front or in the back. In this case, the tail end was not destroyed, and it was stuck in the first building (of B.J. Medical College hostel)," the AMC official said.
"The AAIB requested that cranes, labourers and engineers be provided. The AMC immediately acted and the black box was also recovered," he said.
Ahmedabad city police commissioner G.S. Malik also visited the accident site on Sunday morning.
"Around 270 bodies have been brought to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital so far from the plane crash site," B.J. Medical College's junior doctors association president Dr Dhaval Gameti told the media.
The central government had on Saturday set up a high-level multidisciplinary panel to ascertain the "root cause" of the plane crash and assess any contributing factors, including mechanical failure, human error and regulatory compliance. The panel, headed by Union home secretary Govind Mohan, is mandated to give its report in three months. As many as 230 teams have been formed to coordinate with the victims' families, officials earlier said.
