Medical officials in India have confirmed that 270 bodies have been recovered following Thursday’s tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad.
The London-bound Air India flight crashed into a residential neighborhood shortly after taking off, killing all but one of the 242 people onboard. The sole survivor is a 40-year-old British man.
Authorities are still working to determine how many people were killed on the ground. DNA matching is underway to verify the identities of the victims.
Memorial vigils have been held across both India and the UK to honor the lives lost.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Group and Receive Daily News
The investigation into the crash is being led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with assistance from experts from the United Kingdom and the United States.
A key breakthrough came on Friday when investigators recovered the plane’s black box. India’s civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said it would play a crucial role in uncovering the cause of the crash.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down less than a minute after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, striking a residential block used by doctors at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital.
On Saturday, Dr. Dhaval Gameti, president of the Junior Doctors’ Association at the hospital, confirmed they had received 270 bodies. Of those, 241 are believed to be from among the passengers and crew of Flight AI171.
Flight data from Flightradar24 indicates the 11-year-old aircraft had completed 25 journeys from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick over the past two years.
Following the crash, India’s aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), announced additional safety checks for Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, calling it a precautionary step.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday, spending about 20 minutes surveying the area. He also visited victims at the hospital, including the lone survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, and later expressed national solidarity, saying, “the entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery.”
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also visited the scene, describing the experience as “deeply moving.”
Also Read: Amama Mbabazi’s Daughter Wanted Over Unpaid Shs 450m Loan
