Authorities have concluded the recovery operation following the Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, confirming the identification of 259 deceased individuals. The process involved extensive DNA testing, with 253 of the bodies matched via genetic analysis and six recognised by facial features, according to Gujarat health department officials.
The aircraft, which was en route to London, plummeted shortly after departing from the airport on June 12, crashing into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College located in Meghani Nagar, just beyond the airport boundary. Of the 242 passengers aboard the flight, a single survivor has been reported&mdash;a British-Indian national occupying seat 11A.
Civil Hospital Superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi provided a breakdown of the confirmed fatalities: &ldquo;Among the 259 identified, 180 were Indian nationals, 52 were from the United Kingdom, seven were of Portuguese descent, and one was a Canadian citizen.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He added that the list also includes 19 victims who were not passengers on the aircraft, all of whom have been returned to their respective families.
A total of 256 remains have been released to relatives thus far. Of these, 28 were repatriated by air, while 228 were transported by road to their home regions.&nbsp;
The regional distribution of the deceased shows that Ahmedabad accounted for the highest number at 73. Other notable figures include Anand (29), Vadodara (24), Surat (12), Kheda (11), Diu (14), and Maharashtra (13).&nbsp;
Additionally, Gandhinagar, Udaipur, Mehsana, and Bharuch each recorded seven deaths. There were two victims each from Amreli, Aravalli, Dwarka, and Khambhat, while Botad, Jodhpur, Junagadh, Palanpur, Mahisagar, Nadiad, and Sabarkantha each reported one. Bhavnagar, Rajkot, and Banaskantha had three victims each, Jamnagar and Patan reported two and four respectively, and the list also includes individuals from Rajasthan (2 unspecified), Nagaland (1), Modasa (1), Manipur (1), Kerala (1), and Madhya Pradesh (1).
Dr Joshi mentioned that the remains of three British citizens are scheduled to be flown to their home country in the coming days.
The precise reason for the crash is still under investigation. The aircraft&rsquo;s black box is currently being examined by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Responding to reports that the device may have been damaged and could be sent abroad for data retrieval, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu dismissed the claims as unverified.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The black box is very much in India, and it is currently being investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau or AAIB,&rdquo; he stated.
In the wake of the incident, Air India has begun implementing temporary changes to its international flight operations. These include a 15 per cent reduction in the deployment of wide-body aircraft. The airline confirmed that this adjustment began shortly after the crash and will remain in place through June 20, with extensions expected into mid-July.
&nbsp;

All victims from the Ahmedabad Dreamliner crash have been identified; probe into cause continues.

Air India Crash: 259 Victims Confirmed by DNA Tests

All victims from the Ahmedabad Dreamliner crash have been identified; probe into cause continues.

June 25, 2025 | 17:26 IST