Families Endure Heart-Wrenching Wait for Bodies Following Air India Crash

The pain of families continues to deepen as searches for bodies from the recent Air India crash extend beyond initial expectations. With many remains unaccounted for, the agonizing wait for identification adds to their suffering, amid ongoing investigations into the tragic incident.

For Mistry Jignesh, 72 hours feel like an eternity. Since Thursday evening, he and his family have been frequenting the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, seeking updates on his 22-year-old niece—one of the 242 passengers who tragically lost their lives in an Air India plane crash that day. Initially, authorities assured the family that they would return his niece's body within the typical 72-hour timeframe needed for DNA matching, which was set to conclude on Sunday. However, on Saturday, they were informed that the process could take longer due to ongoing searches for additional remains at the crash site, intensifying the family's anguish.

Authorities have not confirmed Mr. Jignesh's claims, yet a fire department officer and a local police official, speaking anonymously, indicated that the search for bodies is still active. Rajnish Patel, an official from the Civil Hospital, mentioned that 11 victims had been identified through DNA samples as of Saturday, providing solace to some families.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was en route to London Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff. It erupted into flames, marking one of the most catastrophic aviation disasters in India’s history, with only one of the 242 on board surviving. The plane tragically struck a medical college hostel, impacting a densely populated residential area.

The Indian government has promptly launched a high-level investigation into the crash and instructed local airlines to conduct thorough inspections of their Boeing 787 fleets. While the cause of the crash remains undetermined, the country's aviation authority is considering all potential factors and has called in international aviation experts for further assistance.

As the hospital staff rushes to complete DNA testing to facilitate the return of bodies, families like Mr. Jignesh's are enduring agonizing hours of uncertainty. The process of identification has proven to be exceptionally complex, particularly as much of the victims' remains have been incinerated beyond recognition. HP Sanghvi, director of the Directorate of Forensic Sciences in Gandhinagar, affirmed the importance of accuracy: "There is no scope for mistakes here. We must ensure every family gets the right body."

Many families, grappling with this delay, have chosen to remain silent with media, stating their primary wish is simply to reclaim "whatever is left of their loved ones”. As horrified onlookers wait outside the hospital mortuary, the emotional strain continues to mount.

Meanwhile, change occurs at the nearby BJ Medical College, where officials are beginning to vacate several wards of the hostel that were near the crash site. Students living in those areas have also begun to leave, likened to a ghost town as many prefer to return home rather than remain amidst the tragic memory.

Kartik Kalawadia, who last heard from his brother Mahesh just minutes before the crash, expressed his family’s heartbreak as they filed police complaints and made repeated visits to the hospital, only to find no trace of him. His brother was reportedly headed home from work when the plane crashed, and no information has surfaced regarding his fate.

Civil Aviation Secretary SK Sinha addressed a press conference on Saturday, acknowledging the difficulty of the past few days while insisting that progress is being made in the investigation. Yet for families like Mr. Kalawadia’s, the hope of finding their loved ones—alive or not—remains tethered to a fragile thread.

At Civil Hospital, the harrowing wait continues. During a recent visit, Imtiyaz Ali Sayed transitioned from denial about the loss of his family—his brother Javed, his wife, and their two children—to a quiet acceptance of their fate. As he grapples with the thought of their burial, he reflects on the vast impact of this tragedy: "To me, it makes no difference, you know? Because he's gone, from ashes to dust and back to God."