Air India crash probe panel set to meet today

The debris across the complex is being examined by the experts,” he added.

Sunday marked the first cremations of plane passengers after their remains, charred beyond recognition, were returned to families through DNA matching. Earlier, eight bodies were handed over on Friday but these were of people killed in the hostel and surrounding areas whose remains did not require DNA identification. Families expressed growing frustration with both the identification timeline and airline response. Ali, whose brother was a passenger, said he understood the delay but criticised Air India’s support efforts.

“With Air India, the next day after this accident they should have appointed whoever they needed to ensure everything is available to us,” he said, noting he was assigned a support person only Saturday—a day after providing his DNA sample.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in a video message Saturday that “over 200 trained caregivers are now in place, with each family assigned dedicated assistance.”

Recovery process

Hospital authorities have deployed extensive resources for the identification process, with three forensic science laboratory teams analysing DNA samples from relatives of 250 plane passengers so far. The process involves matching tissue samples from bones and teeth of victims with blood samples from family members.

The crash, which occurred Thursday afternoon just after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, represents India’s worst single-aircraft disaster in history, and the deadliest in three decades.

REFERENCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES