Air India crash: DNA match confirms 11 victims, survivor recovering

By Jane Smith, Aviation Safety Reporter (10 years at FlightGlobal)
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Updated: June 17, 2025 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London, tragically crashed seconds after takeoff, claiming 241 lives on board and injuring dozens on the ground. In the days since, Indian authorities have raced against the clock to confirm victim identities through DNA testing and to provide critical care to the sole survivor, 40‑year‑old British‑Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who remains under treatment.

Key Developments

• First DNA Confirmations: By June 14, teams at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital successfully matched DNA for the first 11 victims, offering closure to grieving families. Since then, the tally has climbed to 162 confirmed matches, with 120 sets of remains handed over to next of kin timesofindia.indiatimes.commid-day.com.
• Survivor’s Condition: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, sustained serious injuries but is stable and improving under the care of BJ Medical College clinicians mid-day.com.
• Regulatory Actions: India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a full regulatory review, requesting pilot and dispatcher training records and instructing flying schools nationwide to audit safety procedures reuters.com.
• Black Box Recovery: Investigators recovered both flight recorders—flight data and cockpit voice recorders—by June 16, which will be analyzed by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau with assistance from the U.S. NTSB uk.news.yahoo.com.

Expert Analysis

“Rapid DNA processing in mass‑fatality events can dramatically shorten identification timelines. By expediting what normally takes months into days, forensic teams bring solace to families sooner.”
– Dr. Saumil P. Merchant, Professor of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Narendra Modi Medical College telegraphindia.com.

Dr. Merchant’s team at the Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) have worked around the clock, running 72‑hour accelerated protocols on charred and fragmented remains to extract viable genetic material.

What Happens Next?

1. Complete DNA Matching: Authorities aim to finish matching all remaining samples within 48 hours, targeting over 275 family reference kits collected.
2. Black Box Decoding: Data from the cockpit voice recorder will be transcribed by certified labs in Europe, with preliminary findings expected by late July.
3. Safety Audit Outcomes: DGCA’s findings on crew training and procedural compliance will inform new safety directives for Boeing 787 operations in India.

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