Air India Plane Crash Death Toll Rises to 270

India has ordered the inspection of all Boeing 787s after the tragic Air India crash.

A family member cries upon hearing the news of her brother who died when the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025. Amit Dave/Reuters

At least 270 bodies to date have been recovered from the site of Air India’s plane crash in Ahmedabad, western India, an official has said.

The plane, a Boeing 787 with 242 people onboard bound for London and identified as flight AI 171, crashed into a medical college hostel shortly after takeoff on June 12.

Dr. Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad said on June 14 that the facility had received 270 bodies, 241 of which are believed to be passengers and crew of Flight AI171. One passenger survived.

Air India said 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national, and seven Portuguese nationals were among those on board.

Recovery teams working until late Friday found at least 25 more bodies in the debris, officials said.

DNA samples of 32 victims from the crash have been successfully matched, Rajnish Patel, additional superintendent at the city’s main hospital, said on Sunday.

“The bodies for which DNA samples have been matched are being handed over to the families with due respect,” he said.

Authorities have begun inspecting Air India’s entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

According to the Aviation Safety Network database, this is the first-ever crash of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

The aerospace giant has faced challenges in recent years after production delays, safety incidents, and whistleblowers raised alarms about the company’s reputation.

On Saturday, the Indian government ordered the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to direct Air India to immediately conduct technical inspections of all Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft equipped with GEnx engines.

Of the 33 Dreamliners currently in service across Indian carriers, eight have already been inspected. The remaining aircraft are being checked on an urgent basis, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.

The DGCA has also intensified ongoing surveillance of maintenance protocols and airworthiness procedures for all wide-body aircraft operating in India, according to the ministry.

An investigation is in progress to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Black Box

On Saturday, the Indian government said that a team from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had recovered the aircraft’s black box from the crash site.

It said that the decoding process is expected to offer critical insights into the flight’s final moments.

India’s state-owned public radio broadcaster said the remains of Indian politician Vijay Rupani, who died in the crash, were handed over to his family on Monday after a DNA match was confirmed on Sunday.

Rupani was chief minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021.

Lone Survivor

The sole survivor of the flight, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, recounted his experience from a hospital bed.

“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,” Ramesh told a local media outlet. “It all happened so quickly.”

A crane removes the wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which crashed during take-off from an airport, in Ahmedabad, India, on June 14, 2025. Basit Zargar/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Ramesh said he sustained impact injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet.

“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me,” he said.

Dr. Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad said on Saturday that Ramesh “is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon.”

The airline’s parent company, Tata Group, said in a statement posted to social media that it will provide 10 million rupees (about $116,800) to family members of those killed in the crash.

The plane’s manufacturer offered condolences to all affected.

“We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected,” Boeing officials said in a statement.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.