Air India Crash Death Toll Reaches 270 as Injured Medical Hostel Victims Succumb

The death toll in the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad rose to 270 after several injured victims from the BJ Medical College hostel succumbed to their injuries, doctors confirmed on Saturday.

The tragedy occurred on Thursday when Flight AI 171, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed minutes after takeoff, plowing into the BJ Medical hostel and its canteen complex near Meghaninagar.

Only One Survivor From Onboard

The ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner carried 242 individuals, including 230 passengers, 10 crew members, and 2 pilots. 241 people onboard perished, leaving only one survivor, a British national of Indian origin, who is currently hospitalised.

“Around 270 bodies have been brought to the civil hospital so far from the plane crash site,” said Dr Dhaval Gameti, President of the Junior Doctors’ Association of BJ Medical College, to PTI.

Rescue Ops and DNA Identification Underway

The Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Service (AFES) continues to recover remains from the crash site. “In the past 24 hours, human body parts and a corpse were found,” officials confirmed.

Authorities are conducting DNA tests to identify victims before handing over bodies to their relatives. Meanwhile, cranes have been deployed to remove the tail fin, which remains lodged atop the canteen’s collapsed building. “We will start the work of removing the tail fin… once Air India officials arrive,” said Additional Chief Fire Officer Jayesh Khadia.

First Fatal Crash of Boeing 787 Since Debut

This tragedy marks the first-ever fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft began commercial operations in 2011.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recovered the aircraft’s black box 28 hours after the crash. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed its recovery and said the data is currently being decoded.

“We’re Taking the Incident Seriously”: Civil Aviation Minister

Speaking at his first press briefing post-crash, Naidu emphasized the government’s commitment to a thorough investigation.

“The AAIB team believes that this decoding of the black box is going to give an in-depth insight into what would have actually happened…,” Naidu said.

The minister assured the public that India maintains strict safety standards and revealed that the DGCA has initiated extended safety checks on all Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft in Air India’s fleet. “There are 34 in our Indian aircraft fleet today… all of them are going to be done with immediate urgency,” he added.

DGCA Orders Enhanced Safety Checks

Following the tragedy, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced enhanced inspections of the 787 fleet, beginning Sunday. The focus will be on fuel systems, engine performance, and hydraulic integrity, with detailed reports to be reviewed urgently.