A Mumbai family is enduring profound anguish in Ahmedabad, trapped in what they describe as “double grief” six days after losing four relatives in the Air India flight AI171 crash. They await the release of their loved ones’ bodies, caught in a DNA identification process far exceeding the promised 72-hour timeframe.
The victims, Syed Javed Ali (a Mumbai resident living in London for 12 years), his wife Maryam Syed Javed, their 8-year-old son, and 4-year-old daughter Amina, had travelled to Mumbai to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha with Ali’s mother. They perished when the London-bound plane caught fire shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Speaking to UNI on Tuesday, Ayub, uncle of the late Syed Javed Ali, spoke about the family’s despair. Camped in Ahmedabad since the tragedy, they remain without the bodies needed for burial rites. “We were promised 72 hours, but the DNA identification process has not been completed yet for our family,” Ayub stated.
He said for him, it was a “double grief”: the profound shock of losing four family members, compounded by the mental toll of administrative delays. “We are helpless in Ahmedabad,” Ayub lamented. “Concerned officials are unable to guide and help us; they are not even listening. We belong to Maharashtra. If this happened in our state, we would have received immediate help. Here, we are forced to bear only the shock of a long, uncertain wait.”
Ayub indicated issues with the DNA matching process itself, noting discrepancies.
Authorities confirmed that while DNA samples from 99 deceased have been processed, only 64 bodies had been released to families by 9:30 am on June 16. Dr. Rajneesh Patel, Professor of Surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, explained the necessity of DNA testing due to the severe burns rendering most bodies unrecognizable.
Currently, 21 bereaved families, including Ali’s relatives, remain at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Ayub pleaded for urgency: “The DNA identification process must be completed as soon as possible, and the bodies of our loved ones handed over to us,” Ali said.
