Ahmedabad
The death toll in the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has officially risen to 260 after DNA testing confirmed the identity of the last unidentified victim, officials said on Saturday.
The crash occurred on June 12 when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787 aircraft plunged into a hostel complex in Meghaninagar shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The disaster claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members on board, along with 19 people on the ground.
Dr. Rakesh Joshi, Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, confirmed that the final DNA match was completed on Friday, and the victim’s remains have since been handed over to the family. “All 260 bodies have now been identified and returned to their relatives,” he stated.
Authorities noted that many bodies were charred or severely damaged, making identification through conventional means difficult. The use of DNA testing allowed for the identification of all victims within two weeks—a process that typically takes much longer. Among the deceased were 200 Indians, including all 181 Indian passengers and 19 residents who died on the ground. The remaining victims included 52 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian citizen.
Officials also confirmed that three injured individuals remain hospitalized. One passenger, 40-year-old British national Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, miraculously survived the crash. Government sources praised the swift coordination of forensic teams and hospital staff in managing one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history. An investigation into the cause of the crash is still ongoing.
