The aftermath of the Air India Flight AI171 crash near Ahmedabad has plunged numerous families into profound grief and uncertainty. As the painstaking process of identifying the victims continues, relatives are enduring an agonizing wait for news about their loved ones. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday, June 12, 2025, claiming the lives of 241 passengers and crew, as well as 38 people on the ground. Only one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, miraculously survived.
The sheer scale of the tragedy has overwhelmed the resources at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where the remains of the victims have been taken. The majority of bodies are severely charred and mutilated, rendering visual identification impossible. As a result, authorities are relying on DNA matching to identify the deceased, a process that typically takes up to 72 hours. However, with hundreds of samples to process, the wait has been excruciating for the families.
Frustration is mounting among relatives who have been waiting for days for any definitive information. Many have voiced their concerns about the slow pace of the identification process, desperate for closure so they can begin the grieving process and perform the last rites for their loved ones. Rafiq Abdullah, who lost his nephew, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren in the crash, poignantly asked, "Where are my children? Did you recover them? I will have to ask questions. The government is not answering these questions."
In an effort to expedite the process and provide support to the grieving families, the Gujarat government has assigned grief counselors to help them cope with the trauma. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is also issuing death certificates directly at the hospital to avoid adding administrative burdens to their sorrow.
As of today, Sunday, June 15, 2025, authorities have identified 47 victims through DNA testing, and the remains of 24 have been handed over to their families. Dr. Rajnish Patel, additional medical superintendent at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, confirmed that families have been notified to collect the remains of 31 victims whose DNA matches have been confirmed.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has recovered the flight's black box, which they hope will provide crucial insights into the cause of the crash. Preliminary investigations suggest a possible lack of thrust during takeoff, as the pilot's last words before the crash were, "Thrust not achieved... falling... Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" The black box data is being analyzed to determine the exact sequence of events leading to the tragedy.
In the meantime, families continue to wait, their hearts heavy with grief and their minds filled with unanswered questions. Vigils and prayers are being held across India and the UK in honor of the victims, as the world mourns the loss of so many lives in this devastating एयर इंडिया plane crash.
