Ahmedabad, June 14 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge visited Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad to meet those injured in the tragic Air India plane crash and enquired about their condition. He also paid tribute to the deceased at the crash site, where recovery and identification efforts are still underway.

Kharge was accompanied by senior party leaders, including Congress General Secretaries Mukul Wasnik and Dr. Naseer Hussain, Media Department Chairperson Pawan Khera, Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil, and CLP leader Amit Chavda, among others.

Kharge expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. He urged the government to announce immediate compensation for the families of the deceased. Kharge also offered condolences to the families of medical college students who perished in the crash, and extended his wishes for the speedy recovery of those still undergoing treatment.

When asked about the cause of the crash, the Congress President said, “It is not appropriate to blame anyone until the black box report is out. But accountability must be ensured.” He also called the survival of one passenger a “big miracle” and hoped for their full recovery. The Congress leader’s visit comes amid an ongoing multi-agency investigation into the crash, which has so far claimed over 260 lives.

Meanwhile, eleven more bodies were identified on Saturday in connection with the devastating plane crash near Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. Of these, nine have been handed over to their families. The identification process remains complex due to the severe condition of many remains.

DNA analysis is being carried out by three teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), with blood samples collected from 248 relatives so far to aid the matching process.

Authorities had identified eight bodies, though it was later confirmed they belonged to residents of the crash site, not passengers. A total of 164 expert teams and assistants have been deployed across BJ Medical College, the Trauma Centre, and the Postmortem Unit, coordinating efforts through multiple medical departments. To support transportation of the deceased, 192 ambulances and 591 personnel have been mobilized.

In addition, 230 team members have been assigned to manage coordination and delivery of mortal remains across various affected districts. Relief operations have also received strong community support, with 100 Indian Medical Association (IMA) doctors and local residents actively involved in rescue and recovery. A blood donation camp has collected over 1,300 units of blood, contributing significantly to ongoing medical efforts.

–IANS

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