A senior Indian police source said Saturday that 279 bodies had been recovered from the site where an Air India passenger jet crashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad, raising the toll from a previously reported 265.
The crash is now among the deadliest aviation disasters of the 21st century.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport with 242 people on board, issued a mayday call moments after takeoff on Thursday before plummeting into densely populated buildings near the airport. Only one person on board survived.
At least 38 people were killed on the ground. Officials say the final death toll will be confirmed after DNA identification is completed.
Air India said the passengers included 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, a Canadian, and 12 crew members.
Investigators recovered one black box from the wreckage on Friday, with forensic teams still searching for the second.
US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which described the incident as the first-ever crash involving a 787 Dreamliner, said it was in contact with Air India and “ready to support” the investigation.
AFP
