Authorities have begun the process of handing over the remains of victims of one of India's worst air disasters after some were identified through DNA tests, days after the crash of an Air India plane that officials say killed at least 270 people in the state of Gujarat.
A Gatwick-bound Boeing 787 collided with a medical college hostel in a residential area of northwestern Ahmedabad on Thursday just minutes after takeoff, killing all 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground.
One passenger survived.
Hundreds of relatives of the disaster victims provided DNA samples to the hospital.
Most of the bodies were badly burned or mutilated, making them difficult to identify.
Rajnish Patel, an official at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, said authorities have so far identified 32 victims through DNA mapping and their families have been notified.
According to him, the remains of 14 victims were handed over to their relatives.
Families of the victims waited outside the hospital morgue as authorities completed formalities and transferred bodies in coffins to ambulances.
Many of them expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the identification process.
Authorities say DNA matching typically takes up to 72 hours and they are seeking to speed up the process.
In parallel with the official investigation, the Indian government has set up a high-level committee to look into the causes that led to the disaster.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
