Air India Crash Toll Rises to 270 as Injured Medical College Hostel Residents Succumb
The death toll from Thursday’s devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has risen to 270, as several people who were injured on the ground have since succumbed to their injuries, according to hospital authorities.
Flight AI 171, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff, slamming into the BJ Medical College hostel and its canteen complex in the Meghaninagar area. Earlier reports had put the number of fatalities at 265.
The aircraft was carrying 242 people on board—230 passengers, 10 crew members, and two pilots. Tragically, 241 of them lost their lives, leaving just one survivor: a British national of Indian origin who remains hospitalized.
“Around 270 bodies have been brought to the civil hospital so far from the crash site,” Dr. Dhaval Gameti, President of the Junior Doctors’ Association at BJ Medical College, told PTI.
Rescue teams, including the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES), are still recovering remains from the crash site. Body parts and a corpse were found in the last 24 hours. The process of identifying victims is ongoing through DNA matching, and families will receive the bodies once identifications are confirmed.
Officials said the tail fin of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner remains lodged on top of the damaged canteen building. “We’re waiting for Air India officials to arrive so we can safely remove it using cranes,” said Jayesh Khadia, Additional Chief Fire Officer.
This incident marks the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that the plane’s black box was recovered 28 hours after the crash. The orange flight data recorder, found near the aircraft’s tail, is now being analyzed and will play a crucial role in determining the cause of the accident.
In response to the tragedy, the Civil Aviation Ministry has ordered enhanced safety inspections across Air India’s entire fleet of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. These checks, which begin Sunday, will include detailed assessments of fuel, engine, and hydraulic systems. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will review reports from these inspections.
Speaking at his first official briefing since the crash, Minister Naidu said multiple high-level investigations are underway, and authorities are committed to uncovering the truth behind the disaster.