The death toll from Thursday’s tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad has risen to 270, as recovery operations continue and vigils are held across India and the United Kingdom. The crash involved a London-bound Air India flight that went down less than a minute after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft struck a residential building used as doctors’ housing within the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital complex, resulting in a devastating loss of life both in the air and on the ground.
Authorities have confirmed that 241 of the deceased were passengers and crew aboard Flight AI171, with one man a 40-year-old British national surviving the crash. The remaining fatalities include individuals who were in the building at the time of impact. The process of identifying victims has been ongoing, with over thirty confirmed through DNA analysis provided by relatives.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, 11 years old, and had previously completed 25 flights on the Ahmedabad-London route in the last two years. Following the incident, India’s civil aviation authorities ordered safety inspections across Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleets as a preventive measure.
Investigators have located the aircraft’s black box, which officials believe will play a critical role in understanding the cause of the crash. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the inquiry, supported by experts from the United States and the United Kingdom. Preliminary data suggests that the aircraft lost altitude shortly after takeoff, resulting in its collision with the hospital’s residential block.
On Saturday, hospital officials confirmed they had received the bodies of all 270 victims. Efforts to identify all remains continue, with authorities urging families of the missing to come forward with DNA samples to facilitate the process.
The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of grief and solidarity both domestically and abroad. Candlelight vigils and public gatherings have been held in cities across India and the UK, as communities mourn those lost in one of the country’s deadliest air disasters in recent years.
National leaders have visited the crash site and the hospital treating the injured. The Prime Minister personally toured the impact zone and met with survivors, including the lone passenger who lived through the crash. He assured families of the deceased that the nation stands with them in this time of sorrow and pledged full transparency in the ongoing investigation.
The Air India chief executive, visibly moved by the devastation, also visited the scene and offered condolences to the victims’ families. As authorities press ahead with their investigation, the country continues to grapple with the magnitude of the loss and seeks answers to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
