The death toll in the Air India plane crash has risen to 270 on Saturday as families face devastating delays in the handing over of bodies badly charred in the tragedy.
Only one survivor emerged from the wreckage of the Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed in a fireball on Thursday as it lost height after take-off and hit a medical college accommodation complex below in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.
At least 270 bodies have been recovered from the site of the plane crash, Dhaval Gameti, president of the Junior Doctors Association at B.J. Medical College, told reporters on Saturday.
Fifty-three British nationals were among 272 passengers and crew on board the plane when it came down in what was the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.
Air India and the Indian government are looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down, Reuters has reported.
Dozens of anxious family members have been waiting outside an Ahmedabad hospital to collect bodies of loved ones killed in the crash, as doctors were working overtime to gather dental samples from the deceased to run identification checks and DNA profiling.
Rafiq Abdul Hafiz Memon, who lost four relatives in the incident, said he was not getting any answers from authorities and was “very hassled”.
“We have lost our children .. we are not understanding anything. Please help us get information about our children. Tell us when they are going to release their bodies,” Mr Memon said.
Another father was upset about not able to get the body of his son, Harshad Patel, saying he was told by authorities it will take 72 hours for DNA profiling. “The authorities are trying to help but our patience is running out,” he said.
Most bodies in the crash were badly charred and authorities are using dental samples to run identification checks.
Jaishankar Pillai, a forensic dentist, told reporters on Friday they had the dental records of 135 charred victims, which can then be matched through reference to victims’ prior dental charts, radiographs or other records.
Among the victims were two sisters from London who made a surprise trip to visit their grandmother for her birthday.
Dhir and Heer Baxi, both in their 20s, travelled from the capital to Ahmedabad for the visit and were returning to Gatwick when their plane crashed.
Other victims from London include a couple and their two children who travelled from their family home Wembley to Ahmedabad for Eid celebrations.
Engineer Inayatali Saiyedmiya Saiyed, 48, was on board with wife Nafisa, 46, daughter Taskin, 25, a doctor, and son Waquee Ali, 22, who was in his final year of studying computer science at City University in London.
Javed Ali Syed, his wife Mariam, son Zayn and daughter Amani, four, were also on the tragic flight. Mr Syed was general manager of the Best Western Hotel in Olympia and is wife worked for Burberry at Harrods.
