Ahmedabad Plane crash- DNA test identifies ex-Guj CM Vijay Rupani: state mourning on Monday
Ahmedabad: Three days after the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which has so far claimed 271 lives, hospital authorities confirmed on Sunday the identification of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani through DNA matching.
The state government has announced a state mourning on Monday as a mark of respect for Rupani, with the national flag flying at half-mast.
Rupani’s mortal remains will be handed over to his family members on Monday morning. “His mortal remains will be taken to Rajkot for funeral, the government said.
“Vijjay Rupani, Ex-Chief Minister of Gujarat passed away on June 12 12. As a mark of respect, the government has decided that there will be one day of state mourning on 16th June (Monday) throughout Gujarat. The national flag will be flown at half mast on the day of mourning throughout the state…and there will be no official entertainment on the day,” a government communication said.
“Mortal remains of Rupani will be handed over to the family on Monday morning. Remains will be taken to his hometown of Rajkot in the afternoon,” Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel told reporters.
Rupani’s remains will be kept at his house for about an hour before taking them out for a funeral in the evening in a procession, he said.
“The DNA sample of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani matched (with that of his family members) at 11.10 am,” Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi told reporters here earlier in the day.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met the family members of Rupani and informed them about the DNA match, Rushikesh Patel said.
Meanwhile, authorities here have so far identified 47 victims through DNA testing and bodies of 24 have been handed over to their families, an official said on Sunday.
As many of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition or damaged otherwise, authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of victims of the horrific tragedy.
“A total of 47 plane crash victims have been identified so far through DNA matching. Of these, bodies of 24 victims have been handed over to the respective families. These deceased were from Rajasthan and different parts of Gujarat,” Additional Civil Superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel told reporters.
All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8 (AI171) and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students, on the ground were killed in the plane crash on Thursday.
The aircraft crashed into the campus of a medical college in Meghaninagar moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39pm on Thursday.
