DNA identifies mortal remains of former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani
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Gandhinagar: The DNA samples of the mortal remains of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was aboard the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, have been successfully matched with those of his relatives, a senior state minister confirmed on Sunday.
Rupani was among the 241 passengers who lost their lives in the devastating crash. He was en route to London to meet his wife and daughter.
"The DNA sample of former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani matched with his family members this morning at 11.10 am," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi told reporters. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met with Rupani's family members and informed them of the DNA confirmation, according to state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel.
Reenaben Patel, a legislator, confirmed that the body of Vijay Rupani will be taken to Rajkot, where his family will decide on the cremation procedure. Many well-wishers and supporters are expected to gather to pay their final respects.
The Gujarat government has assured full support, with Health Minister Rushikesh Patel stating that all arrangements for the last rites will be made in consultation with the family.
The tragic accident claimed the lives of nearly everyone on board the London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 (Flight AI171), which crashed moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Out of the 242 people onboard, only one survived. An additional 29 individuals on the ground, including five MBBS students, were also killed in the crash.
The aircraft plunged into the campus of a medical college in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area shortly after take-off and erupted into flames, causing widespread destruction.
A large team of forensic experts from the state and national forensic agencies have been working around the clock to identify the deceased by matching DNA samples with those of relatives. The process, which can take up to 72 hours depending on the condition of remains, is complex and may involve multiple rounds of analysis if samples are insufficient.
With PTI inputs