In brief
Efforts to identify victims of the Air India plane crash face overwhelming challenges due to intense heat, leaving families in distress.
The tragic crash of Air India Flight 171, which occurred on June 12, 2025, has left the families of more than 200 victims in agony as they await news at a mortuary in Ahmedabad. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was loaded with a significant amount of fuel, contributing to the extreme heat of the flames that followed the crash. According to officials, temperatures at the site reached a staggering 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,700 degrees Fahrenheit), which has severely complicated the identification of remains.As of Sunday, only 35 bodies had been returned to their families, amidst an alarming official death toll of 270. H.P. Sanghvi, director of the forensic lab managing DNA sample analysis, highlighted the difficulties posed by high temperatures on DNA integrity, stating, “This process is very complex.” Families continue to mourn and seek closure as identification efforts proceed slowly in the face of such overwhelming heat and destruction from the crash.
