DNA sampling identifies 19 victims

11 bodies handed over to families on Saturday; official death toll in crash pegged at over 270 so far

- Ahmedabad Mirror Bureau

The vital DNA matching process to identify victims of the AI171 crash has started showing results. By Saturday night, 19 samples were successfully matched and 11 bodies returned to grieving families. The death toll has now risen beyond 270.

Authorities have completed post-mortem examinations and DNA sampling on over 260 deceased. They're now focused on the identification process. According to top sources, eight victims who died when the plane crashed on the BJ Medical College hostel in Meghaninagar were identified without DNA sampling. The other three bodies were identified through DNA matching.

Two bodies with police escorts were sent to Nikol, while another went to Kalol. DNA samples from some relatives, particularly those living abroad, are still awaited.