DNA Test Crisis: The Air India crash near Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025 killed 241 of the 242 passengers and over 30 on the ground. A large number of victims were charred beyond recognition, and DNA analysis became the sole dependable means of establishing identities. Families, already in grief, are subjected to an agonising delay as India’s forensic labs battle to provide timely reports.
India boasts very few high-throughput forensic DNA centres approved for disaster victim identification (DVI). Immediately following the crash, more than 270 body samples were routed through Hyderabad, Delhi and Bengaluru facilities, flooding their weekly capacity. Each centre is capable of working through around 60–80 samples a week at best. The crash gave them more than three times their usual workload in an instant.
DNA recovery from burnt remains needs specialized teams. The investigators have to match tissue samples with objects the victims had used in the past hairbrushes, toothbrushes or personal wear to facilitate proper comparison. Most families reside in far-off states or overseas, so getting reference samples tacks on valuable days to the clock. Courier hogging, monsoon‑damaged roads and customs clearance for samples flown in from foreign countries worsen the situation.
Extremely degraded DNA from crash scenes frequently requires repeated amplification attempts to produce a readable profile. Where results are incomplete or uncertain, the process is repeated by labs, adding to turnaround times. Since each report will be examined under the scrutiny of law for insurance purposes and death certificates. Strict validation procedures are adhered to by analysts, significant for accuracy, but time-consuming for grieving relatives.
Forensic investigation in mass‑fatality incidents has to adhere to guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Although these guidelines protect privacy of data and ethical management, compulsive documentation and multi‑agency clearances introduce administrative layers that extend the process.
Also Read: Guide to DNA Testing in India: Cost, Time, Rules, and More Explained
To alleviate bottlenecks, the government sanctioned the outsourcing of 50 samples to accredited laboratories in Europe and Singapore. While these labs have quicker processing, export permits, biohazard declarations and return shipping ensure results will still take an extra one to two weeks.
Every delay prevents families from conducting final rites, settling insurance claims and achieving closure. India’s horrific June crash brings home the need for a priority upgrade of forensic infrastructure. Simplification of rules and development of fast‑response DNA teams getting it so that, in disasters to come, science provides comfort without enduring grief.
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