Air India has started paying an interim compensation of ₹25 lakh to the families of victims from the Ahmedabad plane crash, with three families having received the payment so far, the airline said in a statement on Saturday. This amount is in addition to the ₹1 crore (around £85,000) compensation that Tata Sons announced shortly after the tragic accident.
The airline also said it is in contact with those injured and the families of those who died on the ground, helping them begin the compensation process.
A total of 270 people lost their lives in the crash—241 passengers and crew on board, and 29 people on the ground—when Air India flight A1171 crashed into the BJ Medical College Hostel in Ahmedabad on June 12, according to reports.
Air India is also providing support throughout hospital procedures, including DNA testing to identify the victims. So far, 247 victims have been identified through DNA tests, and 232 bodies have been handed over to their families, officials told news agencies.
Because many bodies were badly burned or damaged, authorities are relying on DNA tests to confirm identities. Dr. Rakesh Joshi, Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital where the bodies are kept, said the identified victims include 187 Indians, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian.
Among the Indians, 175 were onboard the plane and came from states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Diu, and Nagaland.
The DNA identification process is still ongoing, and eight families have been asked to provide new DNA samples because the earlier ones didn’t match. “Until there is a match, bodies cannot be released to the families,” Dr. Joshi explained.
