AHMEDABAD: A total of 270 bodies of the victims of the Air India plane crash have been brought to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital so far, its doctors said on Saturday.
Days after the devastating crash of the London-bound Air India flight near B.J. Medical College, the tragedy continues to unfold with grim updates.
The official death toll has now risen to 270, a doctor at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital confirmed, even as families of the deceased remain in limbo, anxiously waiting for DNA reports to identify their loved ones.
In a relentless race against time, forensic teams have collected DNA samples from over 250 bodies, while only eight have been positively identified and handed over to their families so far.
According to the Ahmedabad Collector's office, 39 victims have been officially identified, and arrangements are underway to transport the remains to their respective hometowns.
Outside the Civil Hospital, the process of handing over bodies is ongoing, as more than 36 forensic experts continue to work round the clock, said Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi. He added that the National Forensic Science University has also been engaged, operating day and night to speed up the identification process.
Amidst this, a fresh body was recovered from the wreckage early this morning, deepening the sorrow. The body, believed to be that of an air hostess, was found in the tail section of the aircraft, which had pierced the rear of the Atulyam hostel building, a residential facility for students of B.J. Medical College.
The Ahmedabad Fire Brigade undertook a risky rescue operation, using precision equipment to cut through the mangled metal. One firefighter, tied with a safety rope, crawled through the debris, detached the body, and helped lower it from the hostel roof, wrapped in cloth.
Authorities also confirmed that four MBBS students staying in the hostel were among the dead. The emotional toll deepened further as Rishabh Rupani, son of late BJP leader Vijay Rupani, reached Ahmedabad early this morning and is now at his home in Gandhinagar.
As families grapple with uncertainty and the identification work intensifies, the scale of this disaster continues to grow, both in numbers and in the pain it has unleashed across the nation.