Over 200 victims were identified through DNA after the Air India crash.
Authorities in India have confirmed that 202 victims from last week’s Air India plane crash have been positively identified using DNA testing. The long and emotional process has offered at least some peace to families who have been desperately waiting for news.
Gujarat State’s Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi announced on Wednesday, saying DNA results had been completed by 2 p.m. The matching is ongoing, as many bodies were severely burned or broken beyond recognition.
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner was barely airborne from Ahmedabad when it crashed into a crowded residential area, creating a fiery explosion. All but one of the 242 people on board died, alongside at least 38 people on the ground.
Eyewitnesses spoke of terrifying scenes—bodies charred beyond recognition, homes destroyed, and debris scattered all over.
Experts from India, the US, and the UK Join Probe
Authorities are still trying to find out what caused the crash. Investigators from India, the United Kingdom, and the United States are working together to examine the wreckage and flight records.
Luckily, both the black boxes—the voice recorder and flight data recorder—were recovered and are currently being analysed by India’s upgraded Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
In response to public concern, India’s civil aviation regulator ordered a thorough inspection of all Dreamliner planes under Air India. The first phase of checks is now complete, with no major problems found.
“The aircraft and its maintenance system are currently compliant with existing safety standards,” the regulator said
This crash has once again placed a spotlight on India’s aviation sector. As one of the world’s fastest-growing air travel markets, the need for stricter safety checks and regular maintenance oversight is now under intense scrutiny.
While families continue to wait for the final results and remains of their loved ones, the investigation is expected to shape future aviation safety policies in India and beyond.
