Ahmedabad: After two days of anguish and uncertainty, the process of handing over the remains of victims from the devastating Ahmedabad plane crash has finally begun. Civil Hospital authorities have started transferring bodies to families with police escort following DNA confirmation, marking a somber milestone in one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s history.
The crash, which claimed the lives of all 241 passengers onboard and many others on the ground, including students and staff at the affected medical hostel, left bodies so severely damaged that visual identification was nearly impossible. Authorities mandated post-mortem and DNA testing to ensure proper identification before releasing any remains.
With DNA verifications now in their final phase, families of confirmed victims have begun to receive their loved ones’ remains. To ease the already overwhelming grief, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has arranged for the death certificates to be provided along with the bodies, streamlining the process for mourning relatives.
Officials are accompanying each handover, tasked with supporting families through funeral arrangements and ensuring they face no legal or logistical hurdles. These officers will remain with the family until final rites are complete. Whether the body is to be transported to another part of India or repatriated abroad, the assigned officer will coordinate all necessary procedures, including coffin preparation, ticketing, and documentation.
Outside Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, emergency response operations continue at full pace. Authorities have deployed 192 ambulances and mortuary vans, all on standby to assist families with transportation. So far, DNA verification has been completed for 248 victims. Additionally, eight individuals injured in the crash remain hospitalized and are receiving intensive medical care in specially arranged wards.
Officials continue to work around the clock to ensure dignity in death for the victims and compassion for their grieving families during this unprecedented tragedy.