Gandhinagar (Ahmedabad) [India], June 14 (ANI): The Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), HP Sanghvi, on Saturday emphasised the critical need for DNA examination to identify the victims of the tragic Air India Flight crash bound for London, citing that the extreme heat from the blaze that erupted after the crash had made the traditional method of identification ineffective.
Sanghvi detailed the ongoing efforts in collecting and processing the DNA samples from both the victims and their relatives for the identification process, noting that the intense heat from the crash had impacted the DNA in various parts of the victims’ bodies, necessitating meticulous sample collection during postmortem.
“As all of you are aware of this unfortunate incident that happened in Ahmedabad where the plane crashed… the flame was having a very high temperature, and because of that, the identification of the person was not possible and hence the DNA examination is required and also this high temperature affects the DNA present in the various parts of the body. So, during the postmortem, it was essential that the right part of the body had been identified for the collection of the DNA sample,” Sanghvi stated.
He revealed that all submitted samples have been processed at the FSL, with DNA profiles being generated despite the complex and time-consuming nature of the procedure, which takes 36 to 48 hours per sample.
“The forensic experts have also assisted the doctors with the collection of the DNA samples and also assisted in collecting the DNA samples from the relatives of the deceased persons. The sample has been submitted to the forensic labs. All the samples that have been submitted to FSL have been processed… Based on this DNA process, profiles have been obtained. But this process is very complex. It takes a lot of time – around 36 to 48 hours for one sample – but as this process has been completed batch-wise, a number of samples can be done at a time and the profile matching has started and the results are coming up,” he added.
He noted that a team of 36 DNA experts at the Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory, in collaboration with the National Forensic Science University, is working around the clock to match profiles and facilitate the handover of remains to families.
“Doctors and the police agencies are in the process of handing over the dead body of the deceased person to their relatives… This process is the utmost priority and the whole team of 36 DNA experts at the Gujarat Forensic Science lab is there for this task. Also, a similar exercise has been going on at the National Forensic Science University. They also say their experts are working on that, and we are working in collaboration with the coordination in the institute,” Sanghvi stated.
Earlier on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that there was no chance of saving anyone in the plane crash because of the high temperature caused due to the burning of almost 1.25 lakh litres of fuel in the aircraft.
Expressing condolences to family members of those killed, Shah said the exact number of deaths will be officially released only after DNA tests.
“The plane carried almost 125,000 litres of fuel, and due to the high temperature, there was no chance of saving anyone… I visited the crash site,” the Home Minister told the media.
On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport, ramming into a doctors’ hostel of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.
There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. (ANI)
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