Death toll in one of Indias worst aviation disasters climbs to 270 as search teams find more bodies
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Search and recovery teams continued scouring the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters for a third day after the Air India flight fell from the sky and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state, officials said Saturday.
The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived.
Recovery teams working until late Friday found at least 25 more bodies in the debris, officials said.
Dr. Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad told The Associated Press the facility had received 270 bodies, adding that the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds.
'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.
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.
Hussain reported from Srinagar, India.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Tech push for Pitripaksh Mela this time
Gaya: District magistrate (DM) Shashank Shubhankar has put emphasis on the use of technology in this year's Pitripaksh Mela, set to take place from Sept 6 to Sept 21. In a review meeting held on Saturday with senior officials and stakeholders, the DM outlined plans to integrate digital tools for the convenience of visiting pilgrims. A key directive was to tag all 'pind vedis', ritual platforms used for offerings to ancestors, on Google Maps, enabling pilgrims to easily navigate to their desired sites. He also called for the integration of an artificial intelligence-based chatbot into the existing mobile app and portals. "These advanced technologies will help the tech-savvy pilgrims to solve language-related problems and trace the landmark of desired 'pind vedis'," he said. The administration has already launched a dedicated mobile application for pilgrims, which features detailed information on pind vedis, ponds and essential contacts. This includes local priests (Panda Ji), hotels, guesthouses, dharamshalas as well as district and police officers. The app also provides logistical details to help visitors reach Gaya Ji with ease. In addition to digital upgrades, physical preparations are also. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending Local Enterprise Accounting Software [Click Here] Accounting ERP Click Here Undo Desilting of the Gaya Ji dam began on Sunday to ensure clean water for ritual bathing. The DM also directed officials to clear silt from sites such as Saraswati, Dharmaranya and Pitamaheshwar along the Falgu river. Pilgrims typically perform tarpan at eight ponds and pinddaan at 52 pind vedis stretching from Pretshila in the north of Gaya Ji town to Bodh Gaya in the south. The expansion of ghats in recent years has led to a sharp rise in attendance with around 23 lakh pilgrims visiting last year. To ensure smooth organisation, the DM asked officials to form sub-committees for physical inspections and to hold weekly review meetings. A checklist will be prepared to monitor responsibilities across departments. Further instructions included the repair of roads, slabs and drain grills in the mela area; restarting the laser light show and fountain at Vaitarni pond; replacing broken tiles at Deoghat and ensuring the availability of drinking water, as well as cleaning and maintenance of toilets and changing rooms. The DM also called for the installation of additional power transformers, adequate lighting to eliminate dark spots and proper parking and accommodation arrangements to meet the needs of the large influx of visitors. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Aryan Asari, the boy who recorded the viral plane crash video, talks about what he saw
Aryan Asari, a Class 12 student visiting his father from his native village in Aravalli district, became an eyewitness to Air India AI171 plane crash. He recorded the viral video, which was one of the first visuals of the plane crash that shocked the world. He talks about what he saw.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Family Mourns Son Lost In Plane Crash Days After Father's Death
Ahmedabad (Gujarat): In a heart-wrenching incident, the family of Lawrence Daniel Christian, one of the 241 passengers who died in the Air India plane crash en route to London, mourned yet another loss just days after the death of the family's patriarch. Lawrence, who had been living in London with his wife for the past one and a half years due to work commitments, had recently returned to Ahmedabad on leave following his father's demise. Tragically, his journey back to London ended in disaster, leaving the Christian family shattered once again. While speaking to ANI, his mother, Raveena Daniel Christian, said, "...He was living in London with his wife for the last 1.5 years due to work. He came here on leave after my husband's death 15 days was returning to London and we also went..." #WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Lawrence Daniel Christian's mother, Raveena Daniel Christian, says, "...He was living in London with his wife for the last 1.5 years due to work. He came here on leave after my husband's death 15 days was returning to London and we also went… — ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2025 She could not finish the sentence as grief overtook her. The Christian family had accompanied Lawrence to the airport to bid farewell, unaware that it would be the last time they would see him alive. Additional Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Dr Rajnish Patel said, "...So far, DNA samples of 15 people who died have been remains of three dead have been handed over to their families..." Meanwhile, Retired Captain and aviation expert Alok Singh has shared his insights on the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which resulted in the loss of 241 lives. Mr Singh attributed the crash to possible causes such as loss of thrust on both engines, bird strike, pilot error, or technical fault. Alok Singh said, "This is a very tragic incident. It will be marked as Black Day in world aviation industry. This is the rarest of rare incidents. From the video, it is clear that the aircraft stopped producing lift. The reason for this could be loss of thrust on both engines, which could have happened due to fuel starvation, or the engine could have stopped getting fuel. A bird strike is also a possibility. This can also be a pilot error. It can also be a technical fault." Mr Singh emphasised the importance of the black box, which records crucial data and cockpit conversations. He explained that the data from the black box would be analysed to determine the exact cause of the crash. On Thursday, the Air India flight AI171 was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport, ramming into a doctors' hostel of BJ Medical College in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
