In a tragic development, the death toll from the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad has now reached 270, according to medical officials in India. The aircraft, which was bound for London, crashed shortly after taking off, resulting in the loss of nearly all 242 individuals on board, with the exception of one survivor, a 40-year-old British man.
Ongoing investigations and recovery efforts
Authorities are actively working to determine the number of fatalities on the ground, as efforts continue to match DNA samples for victim identification. Vigils have been held across India and the UK to honor those who lost their lives in this disaster.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is spearheading the investigation into the crash, with assistance from teams dispatched from both the United States and the United Kingdom. A crucial development occurred on Friday when a black box was recovered from the crash site. India’s civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, indicated that this piece of evidence would “significantly aid the inquiry” into the tragic incident.
Details of the crash and governmental response
Just under a minute after departing from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, the aircraft lost altitude and collided with a residential building that served as accommodation for medical staff at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital. Dr. Dhaval Gameti, President of the Junior Doctors’ Association at the hospital, confirmed that the institution has received the remains of 270 victims, with 241 of those being passengers and crew from Flight AI171. Over thirty victims have already been identified through DNA samples provided by their families.
Data from the tracking website Flightradar24 indicates that the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 involved in the accident was 11 years old and had successfully completed 25 flights from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick over the past two years. In light of this incident, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated additional safety checks on the Air India fleet, specifically the Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 models, highlighting this as a necessary “preventive measure.”
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site, spending approximately 20 minutes observing the scene. He also met with some of the injured at the hospital, including the sole survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, and expressed that “the entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery.” Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also visited the site, describing the experience as “deeply moving.”