Families of the victims of last Thursday’s devastating Air India crash continue to grapple with grief and uncertainty as the painstaking process of identifying the remains through DNA testing drags on. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 279 people, including at least 38 on the ground.
Indian health officials have begun handing over some of the recovered bodies to relatives. However, many families remain in limbo, waiting anxiously for confirmation through DNA tests. As of Sunday evening, only 80 victims had been officially identified, according to Dr. Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
“This is a meticulous and slow process,” said Dr. Patel, acknowledging the emotional toll on families.
Among the grieving is 23-year-old Rinal Christian, whose elder brother was on the ill-fated flight. “They said it would take 48 hours. But it’s been four days and we haven’t received any response,” she said, her voice filled with anguish. “My brother was the sole breadwinner of the family. So what happens next?”
At a city crematorium, prayers were held for Megha Mehta, a London-based professional and one of the crash victims. Around 20 to 30 mourners gathered for her funeral on Sunday.
The crash left behind a trail of destruction, with witnesses describing scorched bodies and human remains strewn across the residential area into which the plane plummeted. The aircraft exploded into a fireball upon impact, hitting buildings used by medical staff.
Of the 242 passengers and crew on board, only one survived — British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. His brother, also a passenger, did not make it.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said investigators have recovered both black boxes the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder which may hold critical clues.
Meanwhile, relatives like Imtiyaz Ali continue to press for answers and swifter support. “I’m disappointed in them. It is their duty,” he said. “Next step is to find out the reason for this accident. We need to know.”
