Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Hospital Hands over First Body to Family after DNA Match

In the aftermath of the catastrophic Air India plane crash, the first victim’s body has been formally handed over to a grieving family in Ahmedabad, following successful DNA profiling on Saturday.

According to hospital authorities, DNA identification has so far been completed for nine victims. As per established protocols, bodies are only being released after conclusive DNA verification and completion of the necessary legal formalities.

Earlier, eight bodies had been returned to families without requiring DNA testing, as their remains were relatively intact and had been positively identified by relatives.

Dr Rakesh Patel, a senior hospital official, confirmed, “So far, around 270 bodies have been brought in from the crash site. Most are severely damaged, and only a few were suitable for immediate visual identification.”

The crash occurred shortly after the London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft issued a Mayday call moments before it plunged into a residential area around lunchtime on 12 June, engulfing buildings in flames and leaving behind a trail of devastation.

Out of the 242 people on board, including passengers and crew, only one survived. The rest perished in the high-impact crash that left the tail section of the aircraft protruding from a hostel complex for medical staff in Meghaninagar.

The lone survivor, 40-year-old businessman Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, recounted his extraordinary escape from the wreckage. “For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive. I unfastened my seatbelt and got out of there. The airhostess and the aunty-uncle near me all died before my eyes,” he said. Ramesh, who was seated in 11A, the first row of economy class near the emergency exit stated that the section opposite his seat was completely destroyed. None of the passengers in those rows survived.

Meanwhile, distressed families continue to arrive in Ahmedabad, some flying in from abroad, to provide DNA samples for identification of the deceased. Officials said the final casualty count will only be confirmed after the painstaking DNA verification process is completed.

Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed that the aircraft’s flight data recorder, or black box, has been recovered from the rooftop of the hostel building. “The black box will significantly aid investigators in understanding the cause of the crash,” he stated.

In response to the tragedy, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has instructed Air India to conduct urgent maintenance checks on all its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft powered by Genx engines. These checks include inspections of the fuel parameter monitoring system, cabin air compressor, electronic engine control system, and several other critical components.

As the nation mourns, Air India’s parent company, Tata Group, has announced a compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of those who lost their lives.​