United in Death: Couple killed in Air India plane crash identified as 98th and 99th DNA matches

As one after another anxious relatives of the victims of the Air India Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight crash were being called for the identification of their deceased loved ones through DNA samples, Miten Patel along with his brother Heman sat in the waiting area for their turn.

The brothers arrived in Ahmedabad from London for the identification of their parents - Ashok Patel and Shobhna Patel - who had settled in London since 1978 and were onboard the ill-fated plane flying back home.

As they came and submitted their DNA samples, they were informed that it would take at least 72 hours to match the DNA sample as they waited. However, on Father's day, Miten received a phone call from the authorities that his father's body had been identified.


The two heartbroken brothers rushed in to complete the formalities to receive their father's body while tormented by the uncertainty of their mother's mortal remains. But just as the two brothers were leaving with their father's body, they received a call from the hospital informing them that the 99th DNA sample matched with their mother's, Shobhana Patel.

The duo rushed to the control room, and what they saw on the bulletin board made their eyes tear up. On serial number 98, it was their father Ashok Patel's name and next to it was Shobhana Patel's at 99 as if the couple refused to part even beyond death.

"It is a miracle that the DNA match for both of them happened within 48 hours," Miten said. "It was as if my mother told my father that he was not going home alone and she would be going with him," he added.