Ahmedabad Air India plane crash: Death toll rises to 274 as more bodies recovered from medical college campus

.

The death toll in the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash has increased to 274, after salvage teams found 29 additional bodies on Friday. This includes 241 passengers and crew onboard, and 33 victims who were on the ground when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into the BJ Medical College campus.

The ground casualties are believed to include medical students, staff, doctors, their families, and local residents from the Meghaninagar neighbourhood.

Previously confirmed ground casualties included three doctors and the pregnant wife of a neurosurgery resident. Many residents of the Old IGP Campus, which houses hostels for MBBS students and doctors, are feared to be among the dead. However, officials have yet to release the exact figures for civilian casualties from the crash site.

Additionally, a state government official stated that 319 body parts, including complete and partial remains, have been sent for DNA testing to confirm victims' identities, as most of the passengers and crew onboard were charred beyond recognition.

Meanwhile, the teams searching the wreckage of Flight AI 171 recovered the aircraft’s black box, which comprises the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).

It was discovered on the roof of the UG and PG students’ mess building at the medical college, where the aircraft impacted on Thursday afternoon, just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad airport.

The data will be essential in reconstructing the aircraft’s final moments and assessing both technical and human factors.

Central agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), visited the site on Friday. Although foul play has not been ruled out, investigators remain focused on analyzing flight data and collecting evidence to pinpoint the exact cause of the crash.