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Heat of Air India Crash Hinders DNA Identification, Agonizing Relatives

The New York Times's profile
Original Story by The New York Times
June 15, 2025
Heat of Air India Crash Hinders DNA Identification, Agonizing Relatives

Context:

The catastrophic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad has resulted in the death of 270 individuals, with the intense heat from the crash complicating the identification of victims' remains. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, loaded with a substantial amount of fuel, reached temperatures at the crash site that incinerated bodies, posing a challenge for DNA identification. Despite efforts, only 35 bodies have been returned to families, leaving many relatives waiting in distress. The lone survivor from the 242 passengers onboard escaped miraculously, but families of both passengers and those affected on the ground struggle with the uncertainty and prolonged process of locating their loved ones. The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed medical and forensic teams as they painstakingly work to match DNA samples with the remains, a process further hindered by security protocols restricting families from viewing the bodies before burial or cremation.

Dive Deeper:

  • The crash of Air India Flight 171 has led to a death toll of 270, with only 35 bodies identified and returned to families as of three days post-crash. The incident involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 125,000 liters of fuel, which contributed to the extreme temperatures upon impact.

  • Temperatures at the crash site reportedly reached 1,500 degrees Celsius, making it nearly impossible to preserve DNA for identification. This has caused significant delays in the identification process, leading to distress among the relatives of the victims.

  • Authorities face a colossal task of matching hundreds of DNA samples from relatives to the remains at the mortuary, given that the bodies were severely damaged. The complexity of the task is compounded by the vast number of victims and the need for detailed forensic work.

  • Security measures at the mortuary prevent families from opening coffins or viewing the bodies, adding to the emotional burden as they proceed with cremations and burials without closure. The single survivor of the crash adds a layer of hope amidst the tragedy.

  • Families of those caught in the path of the crash on the ground, like the Thakur and Patni families, are particularly affected as their loved ones are listed as missing. The uncertainty of their fate has left relatives in a prolonged state of anguish.

  • Ravi Thakur, whose mother and daughter were in the building struck by the plane, remains without answers despite filing missing reports and providing DNA samples. Similarly, the Patni siblings wait outside the mortuary, desperate for news of their brother Akash.

  • The incident highlights the challenges faced by the forensic team in Ahmedabad, as they work under immense pressure to provide answers to grieving families. The process, exacerbated by the scale of the disaster, demands meticulous attention to detail and time, which is in short supply given the emotional and public pressure.

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