Authorities in India’s Gujarat state announced on Tuesday that they have successfully identified all but one of the 260 bodies recovered following an Air India plane crash earlier this month in the western city of Ahmedabad.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 individuals and destined for London’s Gatwick Airport, rapidly lost altitude mere seconds after its take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12. It subsequently erupted into a fireball upon impact with a medical college hostel.
Remarkably, there was one survivor from those aboard the aircraft. However, the tragic crash also resulted in the deaths of 19 people on the ground.
While the current death count is slightly below the authorities’ initial estimate of 270, officials are maintaining caution regarding the final toll. “We have identified 259 victims. They include 240 passengers and 19 non-passengers. The DNA test result of one passenger is still awaited,” stated Rakesh Joshi, superintendent of Ahmedabad civil hospital.
Joshi further added, “The site of the crash is still being cleared. Unless we are certain that no additional victims are going to be found, we cannot declare the final death toll.”
The local government confirmed in a statement that the remains of 256 individuals have already been released to their families. They further clarified that 253 victims were identified through DNA sample matching, while the remaining six were identified via facial recognition.
Air India Under Scrutiny: Violations and Executive Changes
This development comes just days after India’s aviation authority issued a stern warning to Air India for “repeated and serious violations” concerning pilot duty scheduling and oversight.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed Air India to remove three company executives from their crew scheduling roles: a divisional vice president, a chief manager of crew scheduling, and one planning executive. This action was taken due to lapses related to flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and May 17, which exceeded the stipulated pilot flight time limit of 10 hours.
The order, issued on June 20, cited “systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversights” and critically noted the absence of strict disciplinary measures against the responsible officials.
It’s important to recall that Air India was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022. The airline faces numerous challenges in its ongoing efforts to rebuild its image, following years of public criticism from travelers regarding its service quality.
