Rescuers have been searching through charred buildings in Ahmedabad for missing persons and aircraft debris following the crash of an Air India Boeing 787.
The accident has resulted in the deaths of over 240 people.
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The plane, Flight AI171, carrying 242 people, was travelling from India’s Ahmedabad to London Gatwick airport on Thursday when it crashed in a residential area shortly after takeoff.
According to Air India, there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on the national flight.
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Only one passenger survived.
The survivor was identified as a British citizen of Indian origin, whose name is Viswash Kumar Ramesh.
According to The New York Times, his brother, Nayan Ramesh, said he had remarked, “I don’t know how I’m alive.”
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Meanwhile, up to 24 people on the ground also lost their lives as the plane crashed into a medical college hostel during lunchtime.
The Indian government said it may ground the airline’s 787 fleet for safety checks.
Rescue workers are currently searching for missing people and bodies in the building.
They are also looking for aircraft parts that could help explain why the plane crashed soon after taking off.
Two police sources told Reuters that one of two black boxes from the 787 had been found. However, they did not identify the contents of the box or what exactly had been recovered.
According to the Aviation Safety Network database, this is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Air India plane carrying 242 people crashes
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine aircraft. Since its introduction in 2009, over 1,000 units have been delivered to airlines worldwide.
A senior Indian police official in Ahmedabad, Vishakha Dabral, said 269 bodies had been taken to the main hospital, according to the NY Times.
He said the exact death toll would take time to determine and that DNA testing would be conducted.
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