Ahmedabad Bus Accident: Four Killed, Ten Injured in Collision with Tanker
A tragic accident occurred on Thursday in Sangani village near Chotila in Surendranagar district. A private bus collided with a tanker on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway in the early hours, resulting in the deaths of four persons who were charred beyond recognition. Ten others were injured in the incident.
The bus caught fire immediately after the collision, making identification of the victims difficult. Officials from the Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFS), Gandhinagar, confirmed on Saturday that the DNA identification report was handed over to investigating police officials the same day. The entire identification process was completed within 24 hours.
Dr. H P Sanghavi, Director of DFS, explained: "Extreme heat leads to extensive destruction of soft tissues, facial features, and other conventional identifying characteristics. In such situations, scientific identification through DNA analysis becomes essential. Biological samples including bone and teeth were collected, along with blood samples of relatives. The matching was carried out at the DNA division of the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), Rajkot."
Despite severe thermal damage to the samples, forensic scientists successfully developed DNA profiles from the highly charred remains. Kinship analysis was conducted by comparing the DNA profiles of the deceased with those of their biological relatives. Officials noted that the four deceased included two related individuals.
Investigators stated that timely identification helps in handing over the mortal remains to families for last rites and legal procedures. This method was previously used in high-profile cases such as the AI171 airplane crash in Ahmedabad in 2025 and the gaming zone fire in Rajkot in 2024.
