<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In a race against time and amid unimaginable devastation, a team of 140 government doctors completed post-mortem examinations on 274 charred bodies in just 12.5 hours following the catastrophic plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The crash of Air India Flight AI-171 &mdash; en route to London's Gatwick &mdash; left most victims burnt beyond recognition, turning the identification process into a hurdle.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Only three bodies were visually identifiable &mdash; pilot Sumit Sabharwal, co-pilot Clive Kundar, and one air hostess. The rest were so severely burnt that forensic and DNA-based identification became indispensable.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The massive post-mortem effort commenced at 4:30 pm on the day of the tragedy and continued through the night, concluding around 5:00 am the next morning. The examinations were conducted simultaneously at three locations within the Civil Hospital compound: the trauma centre and two post-mortem rooms.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The logistics of such a vast operation required precision and coordination. Teams of doctors from Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Anand, and Mehsana districts joined forces under the leadership of veteran forensic expert Dr Mahesh Kapadia.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">With a career tally of over 18,000 post-mortems, including work during the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the hooch tragedy, Dr Kapadia described this experience as one of the most emotionally taxing.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">&ldquo;Most of the bodies were severely burnt. Performing autopsies on over 200 deceased individuals, including a pregnant woman, was one of the most heart-wrenching assignments of my life,&rdquo; he told a national daily.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Each doctor undertook examinations on three to four bodies, ensuring that the work proceeded swiftly yet with due respect. Eight to 10 bodies did not require DNA matching, notably those of eight young doctors from the B J Medical College boys&rsquo; hostel, who were identified early through visual recognition and personal items.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">For the majority, however, DNA identification was the only recourse. Civil Hospital officials confirmed that biological samples such as teeth, skull bones, muscle tissue, and hair roots were extracted for DNA profiling. These were compared with samples from relatives to establish matches, a process aided by rapid mobilisation of forensic teams.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A separate unit comprising police, health workers, and counsellors continues to manage the sensitive process of body identification and handover.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Families receive not only the remains but also post-mortem documentation, DNA confirmation, a death certificate, police reports, and any identifiable personal belongings recovered from the wreckage.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">As of Wednesday 2 pm, 202 DNA matches had been confirmed, with 159 bodies already handed over to families for final rites.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In response to the tragedy, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has instituted a high-level committee to examine the causes of the fatal crash and scrutinise existing Standard Operating Procedures and safety protocols.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The doomed Air India flight was carrying 241 people when it crashed shortly after take-off, also resulting in significant casualties on the ground.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">With investigations now underway, grieving families still arriving to claim the remains of loved ones.</span></div>

12-Hour Effort Identifies Charred Crash Victims

A 140-member medical team completed 274 post-mortems overnight after the deadly plane crash.

12-Hour Effort Identifies Charred Crash Victims

A 140-member medical team completed 274 post-mortems overnight after the deadly plane crash.

June 18, 2025 | 21:06 IST

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