Tragedy after Air India Boeing 787 Crash: Families Await Identification of Loved Ones
After the crash that claimed 279 lives, families in Ahmedabad desperately seek confirmation of the deceased.
On June 15, 2025, families mourned and awaited news regarding the identification of their loved ones who perished in the Air India Boeing 787 crash that occurred on June 12 during takeoff from Ahmedabad, India.
The crash, which saw only one survivor among the 242 passengers aboard, resulted in the deaths of all passengers as well as 38 residents on the ground when the aircraft exploded upon impact.
As of Sunday, only 32 victims had been formally identified through DNA samples provided by family members.
Imtiaz Ali, who submitted a DNA sample for his brother Javed's identification, expressed frustration at not having received updates from hospital authorities about the status of the identification process.
Air India reported that it had contacted the relatives of all passengers and crew, with approximately 400 family members arriving in Ahmedabad to seek information on their loved ones.
The airline stated that support teams were deployed to assist families in their time of need.
Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, assured that over 200 trained caregivers were available to assist each family, along with access to psychological support and other essential services.
Despite these assurances, many families continued to express dissatisfaction regarding the lack of timely updates.
Rinal Christian, mourning the loss of her brother Lawrence, criticized the delay in receiving identification results, citing that they were told it would take 48 hours but had not been informed after four days.
Lawrence had been traveling to London from Ahmedabad and had returned home after the death of their father on May 29.
Suresh Patni, another grieving parent, was also awaiting the identification of his son.
At the time of the accident, Patni had just dropped his son off at his wife's tea stall.
His wife, who sustained serious injuries in the crash, remained hospitalized, raising concerns about her mental health upon learning of their son's death.
In response to the tragedy, the Tata Group, which owns Air India, announced a financial assistance package of €110,000 for the families of each victim.
However, some families reported that they had not received communication regarding this support.
As families arranged funerals, they continued to wait anxiously for the return of their loved ones' bodies, reliant on the progress of the identification process as they navigated their profound grief.
The crash, which saw only one survivor among the 242 passengers aboard, resulted in the deaths of all passengers as well as 38 residents on the ground when the aircraft exploded upon impact.
As of Sunday, only 32 victims had been formally identified through DNA samples provided by family members.
Imtiaz Ali, who submitted a DNA sample for his brother Javed's identification, expressed frustration at not having received updates from hospital authorities about the status of the identification process.
Air India reported that it had contacted the relatives of all passengers and crew, with approximately 400 family members arriving in Ahmedabad to seek information on their loved ones.
The airline stated that support teams were deployed to assist families in their time of need.
Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, assured that over 200 trained caregivers were available to assist each family, along with access to psychological support and other essential services.
Despite these assurances, many families continued to express dissatisfaction regarding the lack of timely updates.
Rinal Christian, mourning the loss of her brother Lawrence, criticized the delay in receiving identification results, citing that they were told it would take 48 hours but had not been informed after four days.
Lawrence had been traveling to London from Ahmedabad and had returned home after the death of their father on May 29.
Suresh Patni, another grieving parent, was also awaiting the identification of his son.
At the time of the accident, Patni had just dropped his son off at his wife's tea stall.
His wife, who sustained serious injuries in the crash, remained hospitalized, raising concerns about her mental health upon learning of their son's death.
In response to the tragedy, the Tata Group, which owns Air India, announced a financial assistance package of €110,000 for the families of each victim.
However, some families reported that they had not received communication regarding this support.
As families arranged funerals, they continued to wait anxiously for the return of their loved ones' bodies, reliant on the progress of the identification process as they navigated their profound grief.