Ahmedabad |Authorities have identified 215 victims from last week’s Air India Flight AI-171 crash using DNA analysis. As of Thursday, 198 sets of remains have been handed over to grieving families, according to officials at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
Dr. Rakesh Joshi, who is leading the identification efforts at the hospital, provided the latest update. “We have successfully matched 215 DNA samples,” he said. “Of these, 198 mortal remains have been released to their respective families.”
The victims include 149 Indian nationals, 32 British citizens, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian. All were aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on June 13. The aircraft was en route to London when it went down, killing all 270 people on board.
Recovery teams located and secured the aircraft’s black boxes soon after the crash. Authorities are now analyzing voice and flight data recordings to determine the cause of the disaster. The final moments of the flight are under close examination.
Emergency responders and medical staff have been working nonstop to identify remains through forensic testing. Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition, making DNA testing the only reliable method for confirmation.
The handover process has taken place under strict verification to ensure accuracy. In many cases, families had to wait days for confirmation. Some are still awaiting news.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has not yet released a final report on the crash. Air India has confirmed that the aircraft involved had a clean maintenance history, and both engines had met operational standards at the time of departure. One engine was installed just three months prior to the crash.
The crash marks one of India’s deadliest aviation tragedies in decades. It has triggered national mourning and raised urgent questions over aviation safety, oversight, and crisis response systems.
Air India has temporarily reduced its international flight schedule and begun additional safety inspections of its Boeing 787 and 777 fleets. The airline’s leadership says the decisions are part of a wider response to ensure passenger and crew safety moving forward.
As investigations continue, families across multiple countries are preparing funerals. The identification and repatriation of the remaining victims will proceed in the coming days.
