DNA tests confirm identities of 19 Air India plane crash victims

The DNA tests were being carried out as the bodies of victims from the Air India plane crash were charred beyond recognition or damaged upon impact.

Updated on: Jun 15, 2025, 05:01:03 IST

By HT News Desk

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Gujarat home minister Harsh Sanghvi on Saturday confirmed that 19 victims of the Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 had been identified through DNA testing.

Coffins were brought to the mortuary where the victims of the Air India plane crash are being identified through DNA testing (PTI)

The DNA tests were being carried out as the bodies of victims from the plane crash were charred beyond recognition or damaged upon impact.

Also Read: Air India plane crash: Aircraft's right side engine was overhauled in March

In a post on X Sanghvi said, “Update as of 9:00 PM- 19 DNA samples have been matched so far, confirming the identities of victims. State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) unit team and National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) team are working through the night to match more DNA samples.”

Also Read: Air India plane crash: Tea-seller’s son among victims, ground toll rises

During a press conference earlier in the day, Dr Rajnish Patel, professor of surgery at the government-run B J Medical College, stated that the mortal remains of one of the victims was handed over to their kin on Saturday.

He added, as per PTI, that the bodies of two more victims would also be handed over by the end of the day. The bodies of eight victims, who were identified by their relatives and did not need DNA profiling, have already been handed over to their families by the hospital.

Also Read: Air India plane crash: In first presser, Centre reveals what exactly happened on June 12

The B J Medical College's mess was heavily impacted by the Air India flight which crashed into the densely populated Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad.

Patel assured the families of the victims that the civil hospital would contact the kin as soon as a DNA match was found, and urged them to not rush to the hospital.

The victims included 241 of the 242 passengers and crew members on board the London-bound flight. One passenger miraculously survived. Doctors on Saturday said around 270 bodies have been brought to the hospital from the air crash site so far.

As many as 230 teams were formed to coordinate with the families and the kin of 11 foreign nationals who died in the tragedy were also contacted.

The sole survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, is stable, recovering well and absolutely out of danger, Dr Patel told PTI.

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HT News Desk
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