Identities Confirmed for 259 of 260 Air India Crash Victims

AHMEDABAD: On Tuesday, officials in Gujarat, India, announced they have identified all but one of the 260 bodies retrieved after an Air India plane crash this month in Ahmedabad.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 individuals and heading to London’s Gatwick Airport, lost altitude mere seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad on June 12, crashing into a medical college dormitory and igniting into a fireball.

There was a single survivor among the passengers, while the crash also claimed the lives of 19 individuals on the ground.

The official death toll was slightly lower than previous estimates of 270, though authorities have opted to remain cautious in confirming the final count.

“We have identified 259 victims so far, including 240 passengers and 19 non-passengers. We are still awaiting the DNA test results for one passenger,” stated Rakesh Joshi, superintendent of the Ahmedabad civil hospital.

“Currently, the crash site is still under clearance operations. We cannot announce the final death count until we are certain that there are no more victims to be discovered,” he added.

The remains of 256 victims have been returned to their families, according to a local government statement. Of these, 253 were identified via DNA matching, while the remaining six were identified through facial recognition.

This announcement follows a recent warning issued to Air India by the government for “serious and repeated violations” concerning pilot duty schedules and oversight.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the removal of three Air India executives from crew scheduling roles due to lapses that led to flight durations exceeding the mandated maximum of 10 hours for pilots on flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and 17.

The June 20 directive highlighted “systemic failures in scheduling protocols and oversight,” criticizing the lack of stringent disciplinary actions against the responsible parties.

It’s worth noting that Air India was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022 and is facing significant challenges in revamping its reputation after years of criticism from travelers regarding subpar service.