The death toll from Thursday’s devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has risen to 279, as emergency workers continue recovery efforts and officials begin the complex task of identifying victims through DNA testing.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from the western Indian city, issuing a mayday call moments before it slammed into a residential area, erupting into a massive fireball. Police confirmed on Saturday that 279 bodies have been recovered, including 38 people killed on the ground. Only one person, identified as 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the crash.
“It’s one of the worst aviation disasters in recent history,” a police source said. The crash site remains an active zone of forensic work and grief, with twisted wreckage strewn across destroyed homes and a hostel for medical staff.
Families of the victims have begun providing DNA samples to aid the painstaking identification process. Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, along with 12 crew members. The deceased included a range of individuals—from a senior politician to a teenage tea vendor.
For many, the loss is too overwhelming to articulate. “Nobody can fill the void left by loss,” said Imtiyaz Ali, whose younger brother was aboard the aircraft. “I can’t even begin to explain what’s going on inside me.”
Anil Patel, who had just reunited with his son and daughter-in-law days before the crash, broke down as he spoke to reporters. “I saw my child for the first time in two years… and now, there is nothing.”
Ramesh, the sole survivor and a British national, remains hospitalized. “Initially, I thought I was about to die,” he told state broadcaster DD News. “But then I opened my eyes and realised I was still alive.”
Authorities have recovered one of the aircraft’s black boxes and are searching for the second. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed that the data recorder would be crucial to understanding the cause of the crash. He added that a special inspection of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet is underway, with eight aircraft examined so far.
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing stated it is in contact with Air India and is prepared to assist in the investigation. A source close to the matter said this is the first recorded crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.
As forensic teams sift through the wreckage, officials have pledged to take all necessary measures to determine what caused the tragedy.
