For Jignesh Mistry, 72 hours stretched into an agonizing eternity.
Since Thursday evening, Mr. Mistry and his family have tirelessly searched Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital for information regarding his 22-year-old niece, one of the 242 victims in the Air India plane crash.
Authorities initially assured him his niece’s remains would be released within the standard 72-hour DNA matching timeframe, ending Sunday.
However, on Saturday, he learned the process might be delayed due to ongoing recovery efforts at the crash site.
“With missing persons, how can DNA processing be completed by tomorrow? What if my niece’s remains haven’t been found? This wait is unbearable,” he stated.
While officials declined to comment on Mr. Mistry’s claim, anonymous fire department and police sources confirmed to the BBC that the search for remains continues.
Rajnish Patel, Civil Hospital’s additional superintendent, reported on Saturday that 11 victims had been identified via DNA, with families notified.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, marking India’s deadliest aviation disaster.
Only one of the 242 passengers and crew survived. The plane’s impact with a medical college hostel in a densely populated area resulted in at least eight additional fatalities.
Swift action followed the tragedy.
The Indian government launched a high-level investigation and mandated inspections of all Boeing 787s operated by domestic carriers.
While the cause remains undetermined, the aviation authority is investigating all potential factors, including foreign expert assistance.
Hospital doctors are diligently conducting DNA sampling to return remains to families.
For families like Mr. Mistry’s, the wait is agonizing.
Officials described the body identification process as extremely challenging, conducted in small batches due to extensive charring.
“Accuracy is paramount; each family must receive the correct remains,” stated HP Sanghvi, director of the Directorate of Forensic Sciences in Gandhinagar. “However, DNA identification is time-consuming. The disaster’s scale also raises the possibility of DNA damage from intense heat.”
Jaishankar Pillai, a hospital forensic dentist, informed reporters that his team is utilizing dental records from charred remains as a potential DNA source.
The prolonged wait is excruciating for families; many declined media interviews, simply wanting to return home with their loved ones’ remains.
“We can’t speak; words fail us,” a woman impatiently told the BBC outside the autopsy room before leaving.
Meanwhile, BJ Medical College officials have begun evacuating several hostel wards near the crash site. Four wards, including the canteen, have been emptied, with students in nearby wings also departing.
“One ward has only three people left; everyone else has gone home. They’ll leave soon, but remain haunted by the tragedy,” said an anonymous student.
Beyond the hospital and college, millions in the city grapple with the tragedy’s impact.
Kartik Kalawadia last heard from his brother Mahesh 30 minutes before the crash.
Mahesh called his wife: “I’m coming home,” his final words.
She never heard from him again.
A Gujarati film music producer, Mahesh was returning from work when the plane crashed nearby.
Mr. Kalawadia told the BBC that his brother’s last known location, before his phone became unreachable, was a few hundred meters from BJ Medical College.
The family filed a police report and repeatedly visited the Civil Hospital, finding no trace.
“The hospital has no record. We traced his scooter, but to no avail,” Mr. Kalawadia said. “It’s like he vanished.”
At Saturday’s press conference, Civil Aviation Secretary SK Sinha acknowledged the past two days’ difficulty, assuring a smooth, proper investigation.
But Mr. Kalawadia questions whether these inquiries will help find his brother, alive or dead.
“We don’t know, but we hope for a positive outcome,” he said.
The agonizing wait continues at the Civil Hospital.
When the BBC last spoke with Imtiyaz Ali Sayed Thursday night, he was in denial about his family’s – his brother Javed, Javed’s wife, and their two children – demise.
By Saturday, he seemed resigned.
“With hours left, we’re deciding between burial here or in the UK, where his wife’s family lives,” he said. “It makes no difference; he’s gone, from ashes to dust.”
Additional reporting by Antriksha Pathania in Ahmedabad
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