Air India plane crash: Death toll rises to 270 as search teams find more bodies
Share this @internewscast.com

The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff.

AHMEDABAD DISTRICT, Gujarat — Search and rescue teams have been diligently working for the third consecutive day, combing through the site of one of India’s deadliest aviation incidents. The Air India aircraft crashed, resulting in the death of at least 270 individuals in Gujarat state, according to officials on Saturday.

The Boeing 787, which was on its way to London, collided with a hostel at a medical college located in a residential section of Ahmedabad, a city in the northwest, shortly after its departure on Thursday. The tragic accident claimed the lives of 241 people aboard as well as at least 29 individuals on the ground. Remarkably, there was one survivor among the passengers.

Recovery teams working until late Friday found at least 25 more bodies in the debris, officials said.

At the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, Dr. Dhaval Gameti informed The Associated Press that they have received 270 bodies. He also mentioned that the sole surviving passenger is still being monitored due to some of his injuries.

“He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon,” Gameti said Saturday.

Hundreds of relatives of the crash victims have provided DNA samples at the hospital. Most bodies were charred or mutilated, making them unrecognizable.

Some relatives expressed frustration Saturday that the process was taking too long. Authorities say it normally takes up to 72 hours to complete DNA matching and they are expediting the process.

“Where are my children? Did you recover them?” asked Rafiq Abdullah, whose nephew, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren were on the flight. “I will have to ask questions. Government is not answering these questions.”

Another relative persistently asked hospital staff when his relative’s body would be handed over to the family for last rites.

“Give us the body,” the relative insisted.

Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government says it has formed a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to examine the causes leading to the crash.

The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future and “will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

Authorities have begun inspecting Air India’s entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, Indian Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Saturday in New Delhi at his first news briefing since Thursday’s crash.

Eight of the 34 Dreamliner aircraft in India have already undergone inspection, Kinjarapu said, adding that the remaining aircraft will be examined with “immediate urgency.”

The government is eagerly awaiting results of the crash investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and all necessary steps will be taken without hesitation, Kinjarapu said.

Investigators on Friday recovered the plane’s digital flight data recorder, or the black box, which was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and likely will lead to clues about the cause of the accident.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had started working with “full force” to extract the data.

The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for both the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, said investigators should be able to answer some important questions about what caused the crash as soon as next week as long as the flight data recorder is in good shape.

Investigators likely are looking at whether wing flaps were set correctly, the engine lost power, alarms were going off inside the cockpit and if the plane’s crew correctly logged information about the hot temperature outside and the weight of the fuel and passengers, Guzzetti said.

Mistakes in the data could result in the wing flaps being set incorrectly, he said.

Thursday’s Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft.

There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Headshot of a man wearing a kufi.

Israeli Airstrike Eliminates Hamas Member Responsible for Holding British Hostage Emily Damari

THE Hamas terrorist who held Brit hostage Emily Damari captive has been…
Photo of Nilton Vieira Junior.

Husband Allegedly Mutilates Romantic Rival Before Fatal Attack, Apprehended in Chains

A MAN accused of cutting of his wife’s lover’s penis off with…
Katie Lam MP speaking at a conference.

The £6BN Migrant Universal Credit Expense is Outrageous – We Need a System that Supports Only Contributors

FOR most people in this country, it goes without saying that state…
‘Most Haunted Places’ Investigator Dan Rivera Dies At 54 While Touring With Infamously Haunted Annabelle Doll

Paranormal Investigator Dan Rivera Dies at 54 During Tour with Notorious Annabelle Doll

Dan Rivera, A paranormal investigator who was on tour with the infamously…
Fernandina residents split over city’s paid parking proposal

Fernandina Residents Divided on New Paid Parking Plan

City leaders in Fernandina Beach heard presentations from top parking vendors, sparking…
A Walmart store with a full parking lot.

10-Year-Old Allegedly Causes Millions in Damages at Walmart, Leading to Evacuation

A 10-year-old is facing allegations of causing extensive damage worth millions following…
Illegal migrant enters plea in crash that killed boy one day before his 12th birthday

Undocumented Immigrant Pleads Guilty in Crash That Killed Boy a Day Before His 12th Birthday

A woman who was in the U.S. illegally admitted to causing a…
Chicago crime: Leaders to mark 1 year of Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago program

Chicago Crime: Local Officials Celebrate One Year of Safer Chicago Initiative to Reduce Community Violence

CHICAGO (WLS) — Tuesday marks a year since the beginning of a…
How Trump plans to dismantle the Education Department after Supreme Court ruling

Trump’s Strategy to Overhaul the Education Department Following Supreme Court Decision

Education Secretary Linda McMahon is poised to act swiftly following the Supreme…
Prince Harry flies abroad as Meghan Markle stays in US for 'safety'

Prince Harry Travels Overseas While Meghan Markle Remains in US for ‘Security’

Prince Harry has jetted off to Angola where he’ll walk across explosive…
Immigration agents demand tenant information from landlords, stirring questions and confusion

Immigration Officials Request Tenant Details from Landlords, Raising Uncertainty and Concerns

ATLANTA (AP) — Immigration officials are requesting that landlords provide them with…
Photo of Jodi Huisentruit holding a video camera.

Eerie Images of Jodi Huisentruit’s Missing Persons Case: Abandoned Shoes Found Near Her Car 30 Years After Disappearance

CHILLING crime scene pictures show red heels, a hair dryer, and a…