Last Updated:
The Air India crash was so severe that the parts of bodies of victims were coming off.
Air India Flight Crash (Image from the site)
In the heart-wrenching details that have emerged after the fatal Air India crash on June 12, the presence of surgical implants like metal rods, plates, and pins helped the doctors in identifying the bodies that were charred beyond recognition.
Among the medical team on the front line was also BJP MLA Hasmukh Patel, a seasoned medical doctor who stepped in to assist at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital.
Patel was among the first legislators to reach the post-mortem section of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where the remains of the victims were brought.
Recounting the time when the bodies were brought, Dr Patel said, “Considering the magnitude of the accident, it was evident that identification was going to be difficult.”
By the time he had reached the post-mortem section, seven to eight bodies were “completely charred”.
The crash was so severe that “parts of bodies were coming off.”
While tagging the victims, Dr Patel and his team made a crucial observation. “We soon observed that although some bodies were charred, we could make out that some of the victims had undergone knee replacement surgeries and some had (surgical) plates, rods inserted in their bodies for medical reasons. We noted down these characteristics along with the tags,” he explained.
The discovery turned out to be crucial. When families started arriving in search of answers, they were asked for basic details about their missing loved ones. The distinctive surgical implants, carefully documented early on, played a key role in helping match the remains through DNA testing.
- First Published:
