162 victims of Air India plane crash identified, 120 bodies handed over to kin

Ahmedabad: Five days after an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 270 people, 162 victims have been identified via DNA matching, and 120 bodies have been turned over to their relatives, a Gujarat minister said on Tuesday.

Authorities are conducting DNA tests to determine the identities of the victims, as several bodies were burnt beyond recognition or severely injured in the fatal June 12 crash.

"Till 3.30 pm on Tuesday, DNA samples of 162 crash victims had been successfully matched, and 120 bodies handed over to the respective families. Remaining mortal remains will be released soon (after identification)," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said in a statement.

Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Rakesh Joshi earlier expressed hope that the DNA profiling of all the victims will be completed by either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

The state government had earlier stated that samples of 250 victims, including persons on board the ill-fated flight as well as those killed on the ground, had been collected for identification.

The process involves comparing DNA profiles from deceased victims with those of their family members to identify the deceased.

This process is crucial when bodies are severely damaged or charred beyond recognition, PTI reported.

DNA samples are collected from both the deceased and family members and matched to identify the deceased through scientific techniques.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 persons on board crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 pm on June 12.

While 241 persons on board the London-bound aircraft died, one passenger miraculously survived.

The crash also killed 29 persons on the ground, including five MBBS students.