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Air India crash: Families' anger at 'delays' in getting bodies of loved ones

Air India crash: Families' anger at 'delays' in getting bodies of loved ones

Metro14-06-2025

Dozens of anxious family members have been waiting to collect the bodies of loved ones killed in the Air India flight A171.
Doctors have been working overtime to collect DNA and dental samples from the 241 victims onboard the plane before releasing their bodies to families, but three days on from the crash, tensions are rising.
Rafiq Abdul Hafiz Memon, who lost four relatives in the incident, said he was not getting any answers from authorities and was 'hassled'.
'We have lost our children… we are not understanding anything. Please help us get information about our children. Tell us when they are going to release their bodies,' Memon said.
Another father was upset about not being able to get the body of his son, Harshad Patel, saying he was told by authorities it would take 72 hours for DNA profiling.
'The authorities are trying to help, but our patience is running out,' he said.
Most bodies in the crash were badly charred and authorities are using dental samples to run identification checks.
Sort: Newest first Oldest first June 14, 2025 8:46 am Dental records of 135 victims used as medics work to identify bodies
Jaishankar Pillai, a forensic dentist, told reporters on Friday they had the dental records of 135 charred victims, which can then be matched through reference to victims' prior dental charts, radiographs or other records.
MORE: Billionaire who played polo with Prince William dies 'after swallowing bee during match'
MORE: British family killed in Air India crash sent one final selfie to waiting relatives
MORE: Passenger on Air India plane before it crashed shares video showing worrying defects

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