Gujarat Announces State Mourning For Former CM Vijay Rupani News24 –

The Gujarat government has announced that a one-day state mourning will be observed for former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who died three days ago in an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, on Monday. Rupani’s funeral will be held in Rajkot on Monday.

In an order issued by the state government on Sunday, the state will fly the national flag at half-mast on all buildings flying the flag, and no official entertainment will take place on the day of mourning, said the order. Earlier in the day, Rupani’s body had been identified by DNA testing, and his remains were given to the family.

The Gujarat home minister Harsh Sanghavi, also said that through DNA testing, the bodies of 86 of the people who died in the crash had been identified. The minister also stated the process of DNA testing is still continuing.

Authorities have conducted DNA tests to determine the identity of the victims of the tragedy, given that many of the bodies had been burnt beyond recognition, or otherwise rendered unidentifiable. Officials said that at least 230 teams had been created to coordinate with the families of the victims that perished in the tragedy.

So far, as many as 270 people have lost their lives when the London-bound Air India Flight 171, which left from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, crashed into a resident doctors’ hostel of BJ Medical College a few minutes later.

The plane had 242 people on board, including 230 passengers, 10 crew members, and 2 pilots. The aircraft was en route to Gatwick airport in London. Rupani, who was on the flight according to his business class ticket, was going to the British capital to see his daughter.

The one passenger – a British national of Indian origin who was seated on 11A – somehow survived the crash and was admitted to hospital with injuries. While 241 passengers on the flight died, 29 more on the ground were killed in this unfortunate event. The total toll is 270.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) which is in charge of aircraft accidents/incidents, has recovered the Air India plane’s black box, 28 hours after the incident, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu stated on Friday.

The crash information will be taken from the orange box that was found near the back of a plane and could be used in the investigation. In its statement Air India said they are still grieving the 241 people who died on Flight AI171.

“We have established contact with the next of kin/relatives of all passengers and crew members, expressing our condolences and helping them with the next steps. Over 400 family members have reached Ahmedabad and are being assisted by our teams on the ground,” it said.

The airline said every affected family in Ahmedabad had been assigned at least one caregiver. “Air India is working closely with other Tata Group companies to provide every possible assistance to the families and loved ones of those who died, which remains our number one priority,” it added.

Air India stressed it was working closely with authorities on handing over remains to the families, and will be assisting in the movement out of Gujarat, and repatriation initiatives, where appropriate.”Friends and relatives assistance centres remain operational at Ahmedabad and Mumbai airports to support families seeking information,” the airline said.