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Ahmedabad Plane Crash: With bodies charred beyond recognition, grieving families wait with DNA samples, hoping for a name, a match—any sign of the loved ones lost in the tragedy
For most families, there are no final goodbyes — only ashes, questions, and silence. (AP)
Khushboo Rajpurohit was on her way to a new beginning. This was her first trip to London to join her husband, a doctor, after their wedding in January. But her dreams—and her family’s hopes—were shattered when Air India’s London-bound Boeing 787 crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 12. She was among over 270 people killed in the tragedy, one of India’s worst aviation disasters.
“Her family has submitted DNA samples. We’re just waiting for identification, hoping the process is expedited,” said Jagdish Rajpurohit, a relative.
At BJ Medical College, grief hung heavy in the air as families gathered in search of answers and closure. Among them was Vijay Bhai, whose family had been running the mess at the student hostel for over 15 years—right where the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed.
“My 50-year-old mother was making chapattis for the students, and my two-year-old daughter was with her,” he said, his voice shaking. “We’ve found no trace of them. We’ve given our DNA samples. That’s all we can do now.”
He and his wife had stepped out to deliver food to senior students that afternoon, leaving the grandmother and child behind in the kitchen. The crash triggered multiple gas cylinder explosions at the site, crushing hope of their survival.
Two young brothers, Ayush and Krish, residents of a nearby colony, were among the first to respond, helping rescue doctors from the wreckage. “We thank the pilot,” said Krish. “If he hadn’t steered the plane slightly away from the settlement, 1,500 to 1,700 lives could have been lost.”
Ayush described the chaos: “Cylinders in the mess exploded. We managed to pull out eight cylinders.”
Witnesses say the impact caused a wall of the mess to collapse, crushing students underneath. “I saw a student’s brain lying outside. Another still had a spoon in his hand while eating,” Ayush recalled.
But for most families, there are no final goodbyes—only ashes, questions, and silence. Search and recovery teams continued scouring the wreckage through Friday, three days after the crash.
The London-bound Boeing 787 struck the medical college hostel just minutes after take-off, killing 241 on board and at least 29 on the ground. Only one passenger survived.
With most bodies charred beyond recognition, more than a hundred relatives have submitted DNA samples in hopes of finding their loved ones. For many, the wait is agonising. For some, it is already too late.
“I didn’t even get to see her face,” whispered one relative, clutching a photo that may be the only tangible memory left.
At the Civil Hospital, temporary shelters have been set up for grieving families, many of whom have travelled from across the country. Counselling desks operate around the clock, though even the most comforting words seem inadequate against the magnitude of loss.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation, while the Civil Aviation Ministry has appointed a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash and suggest systemic changes. Investigators on Friday recovered the aircraft’s digital flight data recorder—its ‘black box’—from a rooftop near the crash site. It is expected to provide crucial insights into what caused the aircraft to go down just minutes into its journey.
For families who had pinned their futures on that flight—whether heading to new lives, work, or reunions—the crash has left behind a void that no inquiry can fill. As recovery teams pull bodies from the debris, others are left trying to piece together a life without the ones they’ve lost.
Yesha Kotak, Special Correspondent, CNN-News18, specialises in crime, court and investigative reporting. She describes herself as a print reporter in TV. With six years of experience in journalism, Yesha has ea…Read More
Yesha Kotak, Special Correspondent, CNN-News18, specialises in crime, court and investigative reporting. She describes herself as a print reporter in TV. With six years of experience in journalism, Yesha has ea… Read More
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