Aftermath of Air India AI 171 Tragedy: Ahmedabad Hospital Facilitates Identifications, Hands Over Bodies

The tragic incident involving Air India's AI 171 flight has seen significant progress in victim identification and body handovers. The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has confirmed identifying 259 victims and successfully transferred 256 bodies to their families, as per Rakesh Joshi, the medical superintendent. DNA results played a crucial role in this process, accounting for identification of 240 passengers and 13 non-passengers.

On the first day, out of 19 non-passengers identified, six bodies were handed over based on facial recognition, while the remaining 13 were identified through DNA matches. Among the 256 bodies handed over, 180 belonged to Indian passengers, 49 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. The transfer was carried out efficiently with 28 transfers via air and 228 by road.

Three British passengers remain for transport confirmation. The June 12 crash in Ahmedabad, which tragically claimed 52 British lives, also saw former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani among the deceased. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has reassured the public regarding the safety of their Boeing 787 fleet, declaring the aircraft safe following stringent checks. Air India has expressed solidarity with affected families, offering Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation and maintaining a support helpdesk since the tragedy.

(With inputs from agencies.)