The Crossbill Team
The final death toll from the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash, which occurred shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on its way to London, remains unconfirmed more than a day after the incident. The aircraft slammed into the hostel building of B.J. Medical College, where students were reportedly having dinner in the mess at the time of the impact.
While Air India confirmed on Friday morning that 241 of the 242 people on board had died, authorities have yet to officially announce the number of casualties on the ground.
On Thursday evening, Ahmedabad police released a list of 25 injured individuals. The black box of the aircraft has been recovered within 28 hours by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed, though he refrained from disclosing any final casualty figures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad on Friday, inspecting the crash site and meeting the injured at the civil hospital.
“Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy,” Modi wrote on X.
Among them was the sole survivor of the crash, a 40-year-old British citizen named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
Modi also met the family of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was on the ill-fated flight. In a social media post, the Prime Minister described the devastation as “saddening” and expressed solidarity with the victims' families.
However, no official statement on the total death toll was issued during or after his visit.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had acknowledged the deaths of 53 Britons in the crash, while US President Donald Trump also offered remarks to American media outlets.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited the site on Thursday evening, attributed the scale of the tragedy to the massive volume of fuel on board—1.5 lakh litres—saying it made survival unlikely.
Addressing the media, Shah said that while accidents are inevitable, the disaster preparedness of the Gujarat government and central agencies was commendable.
"The DNA collection process for the relatives of all the passengers who have arrived here will be completed within the next 2–3 hours. For those whose relatives are abroad, the process of informing them has already been completed. As soon as they arrive, their DNA samples will also be collected...The Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University will work together to complete the DNA testing in the shortest possible time. After verification, the mortal remains will be handed over to the respective families,” he told the media.
Civil Aviation Minister Naidu, who also visited the crash site, expressed shock at the tragedy and assured that investigations were underway.
However, his social media post—a video of his site visit edited with background music and slow-motion shots—drew criticism for being tone-deaf during a national tragedy.
Speaking to the media, Naidu said he did not want to provide incorrect casualty numbers and that efforts were focused on accounting for passengers, crew, and ground victims.
Despite statements from senior officials, including Shah and Naidu, no clear data has been released on the fatalities from the hostel building hit by the aircraft. Director General of the NDRF, Hari Om Gandhi, said six teams were working at the crash site but deferred to other officials for official casualty figures.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik confirmed there was only one survivor from the flight but said the toll from the hostel impact was yet to be determined. He warned that the number could rise.
Meanwhile, Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police official in Ahmedabad, told Reuters that more than 240 people had died in Thursday’s crash, revising an earlier estimate of 294. The absence of a consolidated and official death toll continues to raise questions, even as search and recovery operations proceed.
While Air India confirmed on Friday morning that 241 of the 242 people on board had died, authorities have yet to officially announce the number of casualties on the ground.
On Thursday evening, Ahmedabad police released a list of 25 injured individuals. The black box of the aircraft has been recovered within 28 hours by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed, though he refrained from disclosing any final casualty figures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad on Friday, inspecting the crash site and meeting the injured at the civil hospital.
“Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy,” Modi wrote on X.
Among them was the sole survivor of the crash, a 40-year-old British citizen named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
Modi also met the family of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was on the ill-fated flight. In a social media post, the Prime Minister described the devastation as “saddening” and expressed solidarity with the victims' families.
However, no official statement on the total death toll was issued during or after his visit.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had acknowledged the deaths of 53 Britons in the crash, while US President Donald Trump also offered remarks to American media outlets.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited the site on Thursday evening, attributed the scale of the tragedy to the massive volume of fuel on board—1.5 lakh litres—saying it made survival unlikely.
Addressing the media, Shah said that while accidents are inevitable, the disaster preparedness of the Gujarat government and central agencies was commendable.
"The DNA collection process for the relatives of all the passengers who have arrived here will be completed within the next 2–3 hours. For those whose relatives are abroad, the process of informing them has already been completed. As soon as they arrive, their DNA samples will also be collected...The Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University will work together to complete the DNA testing in the shortest possible time. After verification, the mortal remains will be handed over to the respective families,” he told the media.
Civil Aviation Minister Naidu, who also visited the crash site, expressed shock at the tragedy and assured that investigations were underway.
However, his social media post—a video of his site visit edited with background music and slow-motion shots—drew criticism for being tone-deaf during a national tragedy.
Speaking to the media, Naidu said he did not want to provide incorrect casualty numbers and that efforts were focused on accounting for passengers, crew, and ground victims.
Despite statements from senior officials, including Shah and Naidu, no clear data has been released on the fatalities from the hostel building hit by the aircraft. Director General of the NDRF, Hari Om Gandhi, said six teams were working at the crash site but deferred to other officials for official casualty figures.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik confirmed there was only one survivor from the flight but said the toll from the hostel impact was yet to be determined. He warned that the number could rise.
Meanwhile, Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police official in Ahmedabad, told Reuters that more than 240 people had died in Thursday’s crash, revising an earlier estimate of 294. The absence of a consolidated and official death toll continues to raise questions, even as search and recovery operations proceed.
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