Death toll in Air India crash rises to at least 279
AHMEDABAD: The death toll from the fiery crash of a London-bound passenger jet in an Indian city climbed to 279 on Saturday (Jun 14) as officials sought to match the DNA of victims with their grieving relatives.
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call shortly before it crashed around lunchtime on Thursday, bursting into a fireball as it hit residential buildings.
A police source said on Saturday that 279 bodies had been found at the crash site in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, making it one of the worst plane disasters of the 21st century.
"Nobody can fill the void left by loss," said Imtiyaz Ali, whose younger brother boarded the plane.
"I can't even begin to explain what's going on inside me," he told AFP.
There was just one survivor out of 242 passengers and crew on board the jet when it crashed, leaving the tailpiece of the aircraft jutting out of a hostel for medical staff.
Emergency services kept up their recovery efforts on Saturday, extracting a badly burnt body from the tailpiece before cranes were used to remove the wreckage.
At least 38 people were killed on the ground.
"I saw my child for the first time in two years, it was a great time," said Anil Patel, whose son and daughter-in-law had surprised him with a visit before boarding the Air India flight.
"And now, there is nothing," he said, breaking down in tears. "Whatever the gods wanted has happened."
SEARCH FOR BLACK BOX
The first body of a passenger to be handed over to relatives was placed in a white coffin on Saturday before being transported in an ambulance with a police escort, footage from the state government showed.
Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members.
The official casualty number will not be finalised until the slow process of DNA identification is completed.
Those killed ranged from a top politician to a teenage tea seller.
The lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, said even he could not explain how he survived.
"Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive," Ramesh, a British citizen, told national broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed.
Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Friday that a flight data recorder, or black box, had been recovered, saying it would "significantly aid" investigations.
Forensic teams are still looking for the second black box, as they probe why the plane crashed after lifting barely 100m from the ground.
United States planemaker Boeing said it was in touch with Air India and stood "ready to support them" over the incident, which a source close to the case said was the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Relatives lament slow support, wait for remains after India crash
A burial ceremony for a victim of the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad on June 15. PHOTO: AFP AHMEDABAD, India - More than three days after giving a DNA sample, Imtiyaz Ali is enduring an anguished wait to receive the remains of his brother who died in the Air India crash. 'My 72 hours are over, but I've not heard from them so far,' Mr Ali said in Ahmedabad, where relatives of victims have gathered since the air disaster. All but one of the 242 people on board the plane died on June 12 when it slammed into a residential area, where at least 38 others were killed. Health officials have said the process of matching blood samples with the DNA of victims will be slow, with just 47 identified by June 15 evening. Mr Ali, whose brother Javed was killed alongside his wife and two children, said he understood the delay and was more frustrated with the airline's response. 'With Air India, the next day after this accident they should have appointed whoever they needed to ensure everything is available to us,' such as help with paperwork, he told AFP on June 15. 'Whatever it took, they should have done it within hours of the accident,' he said, a day after being appointed a support person by the airline. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said 'over 200 trained caregivers are now in place, with each family assigned dedicated assistance', in a video message on June 14. The airline directed AFP to earlier statements about its response to the crash when asked to comment on the criticism from families. 'What happens next?' While some funerals have already been held, the majority of grieving relatives are still waiting for a DNA match before remains are handed over from the mortuary. Rinal Christian, whose elder brother was on the flight, said her family keeps returning to the hospital but they have been told to wait. 'They said it would take 48 hours. But it's been four days and we haven't received any response,' the 23-year-old told AFP. Her brother Lawrence Christian had travelled to Ahmedabad from his home in London after his father died. 'After my father, my brother was the sole breadwinner of the family. I'm still studying, my mother doesn't work, and we have our grandmother too. So what happens next?' asked his sister. Air India and its parent company Tata Group have announced financial aid, amounting to US$146,000 (S$187,000) for each family, but Ms Christian said she has not heard from the airline. With some in Ahmedabad mourning those who supported their families, parents are also confronting the loss of children. Suresh Patni, a driver, had just dropped his teenage son off at his wife's tea stall when the plane hit. She was severely injured, with burns and nerve damage, and Mr Patni has been unable to tell her their son was killed. 'She won't be able to handle it... I've already lost one, I can't risk losing her too,' he said. While watching over his wife, Mr Patni is among those still waiting for his son's remains to be found. 'As soon as our number comes, they'll call us, ask us to come, and then hand over the body.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Air India crash: Officials seek to identify the bodies of victims as death toll reaches 279
Three days after one of India's worst aviation disasters, questions remain, about why the Air India flight, bound for London, went down. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. 241 people on board, as well as 38 on the ground were killed. Families are still waiting to receive the bodies of their loved ones, as the process of identifying them continues. Rebecca Bundhun reports from Ahmedabad.
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Straits Times
US officials survey Air India crash site, families continue to wait for bodies
US National Transportation Safety Board and US Federal Aviation Administration officials surveyed the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad. FILE PHOTO: REUTERS AHMEDABAD - Officials from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) surveyed the site of the Air India plane crash that killed at least 271 people, sources said on June 15 , with families continuing to wait for DNA profiling results to identify charred bodies. Along with the NTSB, officials from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were in Ahmedabad in western India's Gujarat state surveying the crash site, said one source with direct knowledge. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board bound for Gatwick Airport south of London began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on J une 12 , and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Around 30 people died on the ground. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. The secretary of the US Department of Transport, Mr Sean Duffy, said on June 13 he was in the process of deploying a team from the FAA and the NTSB to India. Boeing and GE, whose engines were used in the plane, were also sending teams. 'We'll take action should any recommendations come forward from the NTSB's investigation,' Mr Duffy said. The FAA and NSTB did not immediately respond to Reuters queries outside regular business hours. The FAA has said India will lead the investigation, but the NTSB is the official US representative for providing assistance, while the FAA provides technical support. Boeing officials will also look at various parameters in their inspections, including the angle of landing, as they investigate the matter, said the first source. In all, around 10 officials were present at the site on June 1 5, including from the NTSB, said the second source. India's aviation regulator has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected. The crash brings a fresh challenge for both Air India which has for years being trying to revamp its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises. In Ahmedabad, doctors were struggling to identify bodies that were charred in the incident, resorting to dental samples and DNA profiling. DNA samples of 32 victims from the crash have been successfully matched, Dr Ra jnish Patel, additional superintendent at the city's main hospital, said on Sunday. 'The bodies for which DNA samples have been matched are being handed over to the families with due respect,' he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
