New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) SBI Life Insurance on Saturday announced a series of compassionate measures to simplify and speed up the claim settlement process for families of those who lost their lives in the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on June 12.

The company said that, understanding the emotional trauma families are going through, it has decided not to insist on a formal death certificate to process life insurance claims.

Instead, SBI Life will accept official government records, entries from municipal portals, or data from e-governance databases as valid proof of death.

The claim can be initiated with just a few basic documents, such as the claim form, policy document, and KYC and bank account details of the nominee.

Additionally, family members can call SBI Life’s 24×7 toll-free helpline at 1800 267 9090 for any assistance or queries related to claims.

“At SBI Life, we stand in solidarity with the families impacted by this unfortunate tragedy. In these moments of deep loss, our priority is to compassionately ensure a swift and simplified claim settlement experience,” said the company spokesperson.

SBI Life has also urged families and nominees of the victims to get in touch with the nearest SBI Life branch, nodal officer, or the company’s customer support for further help in processing claims.

The announcement follows a similar move by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which on Friday said it would fast-track insurance claim settlements for the victims of the AI-171 crash.

LIC, too, is accepting government records and official compensation documents as valid proof of death, instead of insisting on a formal death certificate.

The June 12 crash of the London-bound Air India flight shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad claimed the lives of 241 people on board.

The black box has been recovered, and investigators from India, the US, and the UK are working together to determine the cause of the crash.

Preliminary reports suggest a possible twin-engine failure.

–IANS

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