The death toll in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has tragically reached 270, officials confirmed on Saturday, June 14, 2025, as search and recovery teams continued their grim task at the crash site. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday, impacting a medical college hostel in a residential area and igniting a devastating fire. The crash has become one of India's worst aviation disasters in decades.
The Air India flight AI-171, destined for London's Gatwick Airport, took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM. Tragically, it only reached an altitude of 425 feet before it began losing thrust and plummeted into the campus of BJ Medical College, located a mere 3 kilometers from the runway. The impact and subsequent firestorm resulted in the deaths of nearly everyone on board and a significant number of people on the ground, including medical students, doctors, hospital staff, and local residents.
Recovery teams have been working tirelessly, recovering bodies from the wreckage. According to Dr. Dhaval Gameti, at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, the facility had received 270 bodies. The sole surviving passenger is currently under observation and is expected to make a full recovery. Identifying the victims has been a monumental challenge, as most of the remains are severely charred and mutilated. Authorities are relying on DNA sampling and dental records to identify the deceased, a process that could take up to 72 hours. Jaishankar Pillai, a forensic dentist, reported that they had gathered dental records of 135 victims.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and British investigators. The plane's digital flight data recorder, or "black box," was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site. The data from the black box is expected to provide crucial insights into the circumstances leading up to the crash. India's Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, stated that all possible theories would be examined.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has formed a high-level committee, headed by the Home Secretary, to suggest comprehensive guidelines for responding to aviation accidents. The committee will focus on formulating standard operating procedures to prevent future incidents. The panel will submit its report within three months.
Meanwhile, families of the victims are facing agonizing delays in receiving the remains of their loved ones. Frustration and grief are mounting as they wait outside Ahmedabad hospitals for news and closure. Authorities are working to provide support and information.
The crash has cast a shadow on Air India, which has been striving to rebuild its reputation since the Tata Group took over the airline from the Indian government in 2022. The Tata Group chairman expressed the company's commitment to understanding the cause of the accident.
