• 13 Jun, 2025
• Faith Kegh
• No comment

India Plane Crash Death Toll Rises to 265.

Rescue teams with sniffer dogs continued their search on Friday at the crash site of a London-bound Air India pass

enger jet that struck a residential area in Ahmedabad, India. The accident has claimed at least 265 lives, including both those on board and on the ground.

The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12. Miraculously, one passenger survived. The aircraft’s tail became lodged in a hospital hostel housing medical staff, while the front section crashed into a canteen where students were dining.

Police reported that 265 bodies have been recovered, suggesting around two dozen casualties on the ground. Authorities cautioned that the official death toll would be confirmed following DNA testing. The families of passengers based abroad have already been contacted to provide DNA samples.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and described the event as “heartbreaking beyond words.” The flight was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport and had 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 crew members.

The sole survivor, identified by local media as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian descent, is currently being treated in hospital. His brother recounted that Vishwash was unable to explain how he escaped the wreckage.

At an emergency centre in Ahmedabad, grieving families gathered to provide DNA samples. One man, Ashfaque Nanabawa, came seeking news of his cousin, who had been on board with his wife and young daughter. Their last communication was a phone call just before takeoff.

One woman, overwhelmed with grief, said her son-in-law had died, and she was struggling with how to tell her daughter.

The aircraft crashed less than a minute after takeoff, reaching only about 100 meters in altitude. According to aviation authorities, it sent a mayday signal before crashing.

Ahmedabad, a densely populated city in Gujarat state, has residential areas located near the airport. Witnesses said the plane crashed into a building housing doctors and their families.

Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, said it is in contact with Air India and is ready to assist. This incident marks the first known crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Air accident investigation teams from the UK and US have been deployed to support Indian officials.

Tata Group, which owns Air India, announced financial support of 10 million rupees (approximately \$117,000) for the families of each victim, along with medical aid for those injured.

India has experienced several major air disasters in the past. In 1996, a mid-air collision over New Delhi killed nearly 350 people, and in 2010, an Air India Express crash in Mangalore claimed 158 lives.

Experts have cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the cause of Thursday’s crash. However, some suggest a dual engine failure possibly due to a bird strike could be the reason.

India’s aviation sector has grown rapidly in recent years. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently noted India’s aviation expansion as “phenomenal,” predicting the country will become the world’s third-largest air travel market within the decade.

Faith Kegh

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