Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 14 (ANI): Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi provided an update on Saturday regarding the ongoing efforts to identify victims of the tragic London-bound Air India flight crash, noting that 19 DNA samples have matched so far, confirming the identities of several victims as of 9:00 PM today.

In a post on X, the Gujarat Home Minister stated that the state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) unit and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) team have been working through the night to match more DNA samples.

'Update as of 9:00 PM - DNA Matching Progress: 19 DNA samples have been matched so far, confirming the identities of victims. Ongoing Efforts: State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) unit team and National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) team are working through the night to match more DNA samples,' Sanghavi stated.

Earlier today, the Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), HP Sanghvi, emphasised the critical need for DNA examination to identify the victims of the tragic crash, 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.

Meanwhile, Air India today announced that an interim financial assistance package of Rs 25 lakh (approximately GBP 21,000) will be provided to the 'families of the deceased and to the survivor' in the tragic crash that rammed into a doctors' hostel in the Meghani Nagar area in Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after it took off from Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. In a post on X, the Tata-owned airline stated that the package was in addition to the Rs 1 crore support already announced by Tata Sons.

On Thursday, the Air India flight AI171 was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport, ramming into a doctors' hostel of BJ Medical College in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.

There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, 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)