<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">For the first time since the tragic Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, authorities have released information indicating that five of the identified victims were not passengers on the ill-fated flight. These individuals, officials believe, may have been locals or people present in the BJ Medical College hostel building at the time the aircraft slammed into it shortly after take-off on June 12.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the latest update provided on Tuesday at 11 am, Dr Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, confirmed that DNA matches have now been established for 135 of the deceased.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Among them, 101 bodies have already been handed over to their families. Of these, five victims were confirmed to be non-passengers, an indication that the destruction extended beyond the aircraft cabin," he said.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr Joshi said that in the remaining 34 identified cases, 12 families are set to receive the mortal remains of their loved ones within the next two hours. Meanwhile, the bodies of five individuals are still undergoing medical processing.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The final identification of the last 17 victims hinges on obtaining DNA samples from additional family members, which is currently in progress.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Among the 101 individuals whose bodies have been returned to their families, the regional breakdown reflects the scale of the tragedy across multiple states and communities.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ahmedabad bore the heaviest loss with 30 deceased. Vadodara followed with 13, Kheda with 10, Anand with 9, and Gandhinagar and Mehsana with five each. The cities of Surat and Udaipur accounted for three and two victims, respectively.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">One victim each hailed from Botad, Jodhpur, Junagadh, Amreli, Gir Somnath, Mahisagar, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Nadiad and Patna. Four victims each were from Mumbai, other regions of Maharashtra, and Diu.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">On being asked about the possibility of more bodies or remains coming from the crash site, Dr Joshi told Benefit News, "As of the past two days, we have not received any bodies from the site. The area is still under inspection, and authorities are carrying out extensive checks in the premises."&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The crash, which claimed at least 270 lives, saw the Air India domestic flight AI-171 crash into the BJ Medical College hostel block, igniting a blaze that left most bodies severely charred and identification extremely difficult.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The process of matching DNA has taken days of rigorous testing and coordination between forensic teams and families.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Among those who were identified through DNA was the flight&rsquo;s pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. A veteran of the skies with over 8,200 hours of flying experience, the 56-year-old had only recently promised his ageing father that he would retire soon to care for him full time.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">His body was flown to Mumbai on Tuesday morning and later taken to his residence in Jal Vayu Vihar, Powai.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Captain Sabharwal was remembered not just for his skill, but for his humility. &ldquo;He never showed his position. He was very grounded and a wonderful soul,&rdquo; said a family friend through tears.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A former colleague, who had served with him as a cabin crew member, recalled, &ldquo;He was a dedicated son, committed and skilled pilot. I had the opportunity to serve him vegetarian meals. We walked many times together and shared meals.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The colleague added, &ldquo;Wonderful and pure soul and a thorough gentleman&mdash;left too soon.&rdquo;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The captain&rsquo;s father retired from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and two of his nephews are also pilots. &ldquo;Whenever he flew out, Sumeet would ask us to keep an eye on his father. He has now been left devastated,&rdquo; one neighbour shared with a national daily.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just before the crash, Captain Sabharwal issued a &ldquo;Mayday&rdquo; call to Air Traffic Control, according to the DGCA. The distress signal&mdash;used in life-threatening emergencies&mdash;was the last communication received from the aircraft before contact was lost.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The crash site remains under investigation. The black boxes from the aircraft&mdash;the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder&mdash;have been recovered from the debris.&nbsp;</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The CVR, which was discovered along with trailing wires from the aircraft's rear section, has been handed over to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). These devices are expected to provide crucial insights into the final moments of the flight.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meanwhile, a high-level multi-disciplinary committee led by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has begun probing the circumstances surrounding the crash. The committee aims to identify the root cause of the disaster and develop policy recommendations to prevent such incidents in future.</span></div>

AI-171 Crash: 135 Victims Identified, 101 Handed Over

Five non-passengers killed in crash identified among 135 victims through DNA testing.

AI-171 Crash: 135 Victims Identified, 101 Handed Over

Five non-passengers killed in crash identified among 135 victims through DNA testing.

June 17, 2025 | 12:26 IST