9 bodies from Rajkot fire tragedy identified through DNA test: Gujarat Home Minister

Ahmedabad: The identities of nine bodies found in the fire-ravaged TRP gaming area in Rajkot have been established through DNA analysis, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said on Monday.

As many as 27 people, including children, were killed in a massive fire at the leisure center on May 25. With the bodies charred beyond recognition, the state government called in a forensic laboratory to identify the victims through DNA profiling. .

As the process takes time, several anxious families who were waiting outside the Rajkot Civil Hospital to collect the bodies of their loved ones got into a heated argument with the local police on Monday.

Sanghavi visited the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar and announced that he had so far identified nine victims by matching their DNA samples with those of their relatives.

“I can understand the anger of families who have lost their loved ones. FSL is also working around the clock. All FSL staff have canceled their vacations and other travel plans so that all samples can be analyzed as soon as possible. I have reviewed the progress and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is also taking hourly updates,” Sanghavi told reporters.

Since it was impossible to take blood samples from the charred bodies, forensic experts collected bone samples to match the DNA of the deceased and their relatives, Sanghavi said.

“It would have taken nearly four hours if the samples had been brought to Gandhinagar by road. To speed up the DNA matching process, the CM has ordered the deployment of an air ambulance,” he said.

The minister said the DNA search process began at the FSL early on Sunday morning and a team of 18 forensic experts had been working around the clock since then so that the bodies could be handed over to their next of kin after identification.

“This process is long and has nine steps. Blood samples from relatives are compared to blood or bone samples from the deceased to match the DNA. Usually, each sample analysis takes almost 48 hours.

So far, nine bodies have been identified. Eight samples are currently being analyzed. We will inform the next of kin as soon as the information arrives,” he added.