A week on, 211 AI plane crash victims identified via DNA tests; 189 bodies handed over to kin

Ahmedabad: A week after 270 people died in the Air India (AI) plane crash in Ahmedabad, 211 victims have been identified so far through DNA matching, while 189 bodies handed over to their families, an official said on Thursday.

The London-bound flight AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members smashed into a medical complex moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on June 12. All but one on board the plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, died along with 29 people on the ground.

Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or severely damaged.

"Till Thursday morning, 211 DNA samples have been matched, and 189 bodies handed over to respective families," Ahmedabad Civil Hospital's medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi told reporters.

The 189 victims whose bodies have been handed over included 142 Indians, 32 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. The mortal remains of seven persons who died on the ground have also been handed over to their relatives, said Joshi.