DNA tests identify 47 victims including ex-CM; 24 bodies handed over to kin

Three days after the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad which has so far claimed 270 lives hospital authorities confirmed on Sunday the identification of 47 victims through DNA matching including that of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay RupaniAuthorities have handed over 24 bodies to the victims families officials said on SundayRupani was among the 242 passengers and crew members on board the Londonbound Air India flight AI171 that crashed on ThursdayThe Gujarat government has announced a state mourning for Rupani on Monday A funeral procession will be held in Rajkot in the eveningThe Boeing 7878 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college complex moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 139 PM on Thursday So far 29 people are reported to have died in the disaster on the ground which includes five MBBS students Only one person from the aircraft miraculously survivedDue to the severe condition of many bodiesiquestburnt or disfigurediquestauthorities are relying on DNA matching for identificationA total of 47 plane crash victims have been identified so far through DNA matching Of these the bodies of 24 victims have been handed over to their respective families These deceased were from Rajasthan and different parts of Gujarat Additional Civil Superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel told reportersHe added that 14 of the identified victims were from Udaipur Vadodara Kheda Mehsana Ahmedabad and Botad districtsOf the 51 people injured in the incident 38 have been discharged while 13 are still undergoing treatment said Dr Patel a professor of surgery at the governmentrun B J Medical CollegeAccording to Dr Dhaval Gameti president of the BJ Medical College Junior Doctors Association around 270 bodies were brought to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital from the crash siteState Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey told reporters that families of all 230 passengers who perished on the flight have been contactedMembers of only three deceased passengers are yet to give their DNA samples as they live abroad They are expected to arrive tomorrow evening Along with the mortal remains we are also handing over death certificates to the kin so that they dont face any issues afterwards said PandeyTo assess the situation PK Mishra Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and Civil Hospital on Sunday He was briefed on the sequence of events and interacted with the injuredState government officials apprised Mishra about the sequence of events leading to the disaster which is the countrys worst aviation accident in decadesAfter enquiring about the health of the injured Mishra proceeded to the hospitals morgue areaI am very pained by the enormity of the tragedy Everybody is sad It is our duty to share grief and express our feelings for the victims Mishra told reportersThe Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau AAIB is leading a thorough probe into the causes of the crash Various Central and state government agencies including the state police are assisting the AAIB team at the crash site in MeghaninagarAhmedabad Municipal Corporation AMC Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani highlighted the crucial recovery of the black box an essential component of the investigationThe black box recovery was a very important part of the investigation processThe AMC immediately acted and the black box was also recovered Pani said noting its location in the tail end of the aircraft which was embedded in a buildingCity Police Commissioner GS Malik also visited the accident site on Sunday morningAhmedabad fire brigade officials said three delegations visited the crash site on Sunday including some foreigners to assist investigatorsSources said the first meeting of a highlevel multidisciplinary committee formed by the Centre will be held on Monday in New DelhiThe committee headed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan is mandated to ascertain the root cause of the plane crash and assess any contributing factors including mechanical failure human error and regulatory compliances The committee has been mandated to submit its report within three monthsAs part of the ongoing efforts 230 teams have been formed to coordinate with the victims familiesMeanwhile Air India on Sunday said it is working closely with other Tata group companies to provide every possible assistance to the families and loved ones of the plane crash victimsThe airline in a statement also said that over 400 family members have reached Ahmedabad and are being assisted by its teams on the groundThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever