The final victim of the Air India Flight 171 tragedy has been formally identified, raising the confirmed death toll to 260. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was bound for London when it crashed on June 12 shortly after departing from Ahmedabad&rsquo;s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew members onboard and claiming 19 more lives on the ground.
Ahmedabad Civil Hospital&rsquo;s superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi confirmed that the last unidentified victim, a resident of Kutch, was matched through DNA testing late on Saturday and the remains were subsequently handed over to the family.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The last body, of a passenger, was identified on Saturday night using DNA matching. The overall death toll from the plane crash is 260, including 19 non-passengers,&rdquo; he said. He added that no additional remains have been located recently.
Previously, Gujarat health authorities had noted that all remains retrieved from the crash site had been matched to victims using either DNA profiling or facial recognition, except for one case now resolved. From the debris at the Meghaninagar crash location, authorities recovered a total of 318 body parts, a senior police officer stated.
Of the 260 deceased, 253 individuals were identified through genetic testing, while the remaining six were recognised using facial identification. According to Dhananjay Dwivedi, additional chief secretary of the state&rsquo;s health and family welfare department, 250 family members of victims&mdash;including those not onboard&mdash;provided DNA samples for the identification process.
Samples from relatives were collected at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Ahmedabad, while the matching procedures were carried out at FSL Gandhinagar and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU). Although forensic DNA identification usually spans months, the process in this case was completed within approximately two weeks.
DNA identification typically involves two procedures: the collection of fresh blood samples and the extraction of genetic material from human remains, which demands meticulous preparation to avoid contamination.&nbsp;
Bhargav Patel, who heads the Centre of Excellence in DNA Forensics at NFSU, explained the procedure: &ldquo;The DNA extraction process begins with careful sample preparation. Bone samples are meticulously ground into a fine powder, while tooth samples are first broken into small fragments before being similarly powdered. This is crucial for maximising DNA yield from these challenging biological materials.&rdquo;
He added that the powdered remains undergo precise heat treatment using specialist equipment to rupture cell structures and release DNA, which is then subjected to stringent quality control before amplification. The amplified genetic material is separated into single strands and analysed through high-resolution sequencing to build individual DNA profiles.
Patel further stated that his 32-member team, comprising scientists and PhD researchers, processed more than 150 DNA samples from the deceased and successfully identified over 125 individuals through this technique.
Dr Joshi, speaking to Benefit News, noted that while all 260 known bodies have been released to families, additional discoveries are not ruled out. &ldquo;Yes, this is true that as of now, we have handed 260 bodies (241 passengers and 19 on ground). I cannot say that it's the final count yet because the site is still being cleared out. There can be a possibility that more remains to be found. As of now, there is no missing person in the plane crash incident. The process is still ongoing,&rdquo; he said.
The lone survivor of the crash, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian descent, had been seated in 11-A.
In a related development, four senior officials of AISATS, an Air India joint venture, were dismissed after a video showing them dancing and celebrating at the Gurugram office surfaced online, prompting backlash due to its timing. The footage, captured just days after the accident, triggered widespread criticism and led to disciplinary action, including official warnings for other staff members involved.
Responding to the controversy, an AISATS spokesperson told a national daily, &ldquo;At AISATS, we stand in solidarity with families affected by the tragic loss of AI 171 and deeply regret the lapse in judgment reflected in a recent internal video.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The statement added, &ldquo;The behaviour does not align with our values, and firm disciplinary action has been taken against those responsible as we reaffirm our commitment to empathy, professionalism, and accountability.&rdquo;
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Gujarat officials confirm identity of final crash victim; total fatalities remain at 260.

Final Victim Identified in Air India Flight Crash

Gujarat officials confirm identity of final crash victim; total fatalities remain at 260.

June 28, 2025 | 20:51 IST