The UK-bound flight crashed seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of 242 passengers
The death toll from the Air India crash on Thursday has risen to 270, making it one of the deadliest disasters of its kind in the country’s history. The plane slammed into a medical college dormitory, leaving one survivor from the flight.
Search and rescue workers recovered more bodies from the site late Friday, pushing the death toll higher, officials told media on Saturday. The authorities had earlier put the body count at 265.
“Around 270 bodies have been brought to the civil hospital so far from the plane crash site,” Dr. Dhaval Gamet at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad told reporters on Saturday.
He added that the only survivor was still under observation for some of his wounds. In an interview with India’s public broadcaster Doodarshan on Saturday, the survivor, 40-year-old UK national of Indian origin Ramesh Vishwashkumar said he “jumped out” of the plans seconds after it crashed when he realized there was some space near his seat. He said he couldn’t believe he’d made it out of the burning plane alive, even as he saw people dying around him.
‘I Can’t Believe I Came Out Of It Alive’ – Air India Crash Sole Survivor Explains The Moment The Plane Started To Rip Apart & How He Managed His Miraculous Escape
Families of the victims are still waiting to receive the bodies of their loved ones. A relative of several passengers who are believed to have died in the crash told RT on Friday that he had given his blood for DNA profiling upon arrival in Ahmedabad, but has not yet received any news about the deceased. “I’m here since yesterday; I gave my blood test. So far there were no bodies of them,” he said.
Doctors have been working without breaks to gather dental samples from the deceased to run identification checks and conduct DNA profiling, Hindustan Times reported. The process of handing over bodies has been slow because of the extent of the damage. “Some of the bodies are charred beyond recognition,” one official told the newspaper.
The flight, operated by Air India, had just taken off from Ahmedabad when it lost altitude and crashed into a medical college dormitory. Engine failure and poor visibility have been cited as possible factors, though the exact cause is still under investigation. Authorities from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation are examining flight data and cockpit recordings retrieved on Friday.
Meanwhile, New Delhi’s aviation regulator has asked Air India to carry out maintenance on its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft immediately. These include a review of all take-off parameters and aircraft checks over the last two weeks, according to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
