Plane crash casualties in India climb to 279 fatalities
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The shattered remains of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner screamed for help in a mayday call before it plummeted into a residential area in Ahmedabad, erupting into a blazing inferno around midday on Thursday.
Three grueling days later, authorities reported that 279 bodies had been salvaged from the crash site, making the disaster one of the deadliest air crashes of the 21st century.
One lone passenger miraculously survived the cascade, with 241 passengers and crew members succumbing to the catastrophe. The remnants of the aircraft's tailpiece were left protruding from a nearby hostel for healthcare workers.
Approximately 38 people on the ground also lost their lives.
Anil Patel, a heartbroken father, shared his emotional account, "I had my child back with me after two long years; it was pure bliss. Now, there's nothing left." He choked back tears, "The gods have done what they willed."
DNA Samples and Identifications
Family members of the deceased have been voluntarily providing DNA samples to aid in the Forensic teams' identification process. Some family members have even had to travel to India to offer their assistance.
The official death count will remain uncertain until the thorough and painstaking process of DNA identification is completed.
Air India communicated that out of the 296 souls onboard, there were 169 passengers of Indian descent, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese residents, a Canadian, and an additional 12 crew members.
The hit list of passengers ranged from a prominent politician to a humble teenage tea vendor.
The lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, age 40, unbelievably defied the odds.
"Initially, I honestly believed I was going to perish, but then I awoke and realized I was still breathing," Ramesh, a British citizen, conveys from his hospital bed to the national broadcaster DD News.
Transport Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu declared on Friday that a flight data recorder, known colloquially as a "black box," had been retrieved. He emphasized that its recovery would significantly expedite the investigations.
The wreckage search is ongoing for the second black box as Forensic teams continue piecing together why the aircraft plummeted just mere metres from the ground.
U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing shared their sympathies for the tragedy and expressed their readiness to collaborate with Air India regarding the incident, which represents the maiden crash for a 787 Dreamliner.
© 2025 AFP
Context:
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash is under active investigation, with significant findings being reported. The Black Boxes have been recovered, and the tragic event has resulted in the loss of lives ranging from a prominent regional politician to a teenage boy working as a tea-seller. There has been promising news about the lone survivor's account of his experience during the crash. The incident represents the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner.
- Family members of the Indian victims are voluntarily providing DNA samples to help forensic teams identify the remains.
- The hit list of passengers on the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash includes a prominent politician and a humble teenage tea vendor.
- Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen, miraculously survived the crash but lost fellow passengers of various nationalities, including Indian, British, Portuguese, Canadian, and crew members.
- The General News has been reporting on the ongoing search for the second black box to help determine the reason for the aircraft's sudden plunge just meters from the ground.
- European leagues, crime and justice news, car accidents, and fires have all taken a backseat as sports fans and news consumers follow the deeply emotional story of the Air India disaster.
- In light of the first 787 Dreamliner crash, Boeing offers their sympathies and stands ready to collaborate with Air India in the investigations and learning lessons from the tragic event.
