Doctors in India have confirmed that 270 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of Thursday’s devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad. The Air India flight, bound for London, went down shortly after take-off, crashing into a residential complex used by medical staff, killing nearly everyone on board and several on the ground.
Only one person from the 242 passengers and crew survived—40-year-old British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh—who remains hospitalized in stable condition. Authorities are continuing efforts to determine the total number of casualties, including those killed in the residential building.
Vigils honouring the victims have been held across India and the United Kingdom, as families await the confirmation of their loved ones’ identities. More than 30 victims have so far been formally identified through DNA testing, officials confirmed.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the investigation, with support from aviation teams from the United Kingdom and the United States. On Friday, investigators recovered one of the aircraft’s black boxes from the crash site, a discovery that Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said would “significantly aid the inquiry.”
Flight AI171 had taken off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport just before disaster struck. According to officials, less than a minute after departure, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner lost altitude and slammed into a building at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital complex. The structure was used to house junior doctors.
Dr Dhaval Gameti, president of the hospital’s Junior Doctors’ Association, confirmed that 270 bodies had been received by the hospital mortuary. Of these, 241 are believed to have been on board the flight.
The aircraft, which was 11 years old, had made 25 previous trips between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick over the past two years, according to data from Flightradar24.
In response to the tragedy, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched additional safety checks on all Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft in Air India’s fleet. The regulator described the inspections as a “preventive measure.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday, spending nearly 20 minutes surveying the area. He later met survivors at the hospital, including the sole survivor, and stated, “The entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery.”
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also visited the crash site, describing the experience as “deeply moving.” Investigators say a preliminary report into the cause of the crash will be issued once black box data is fully analyzed.
