Air India crash: Rescue teams search site where at least 265 died

RESCUE teams with sniffer dogs searched the crash site on Friday after an Air India flight heading to London crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground.

The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed on Thursday. One person survived the crash, which left the tail of the aircraft lodged in the second floor of a hostel housing medical staff from a nearby hospital.

The nose and front wheel of the plane landed on a canteen building where students were having lunch, according to witnesses.

Deputy commissioner of police Kanan Desai said 265 bodies had been counted so far, indicating that at least 24 people on the ground had died. The toll may rise as more body parts are recovered.

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PM Modi visits crash site

"The official number of deceased will be declared only after DNA testing is completed", Home Minister Amit Shah said in a statement on Thursday evening. He added, "families whose relatives are abroad have already been informed, and their DNA samples will be taken".

Prime minister Narendra Modi visited the affected neighbourhood on Friday. He had earlier described the crash of Air India flight 171 as "heartbreaking beyond words".

According to the airline, the passengers included 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. There were also 12 crew members on board. The flight was bound for London’s Gatwick airport.

Only one survivor

The only survivor was a British national of Indian origin, identified by local media as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Air India said he is receiving treatment in hospital.

"He said, 'I have no idea how I exited the plane'", said his brother Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, in Leicester, as reported by Britain’s Press Association.

Relatives of passengers gathered in Ahmedabad on Friday to provide DNA samples for identification.

Ashfaque Nanabawa, 40, came looking for his cousin Akeel Nanabawa, who was on board with his wife and three-year-old daughter. He said they had spoken just before takeoff.

"He called us and he said: 'I am in the plane and I have boarded safely and everything was okay'. That was his last call."

One woman, who did not give her name, said her son-in-law had died in the crash.

"My daughter doesn't know that he's no more", she said. "I can't break the news to her, can someone else do that please?"

Crash occurred moments after takeoff

The plane crashed less than a minute after takeoff on Thursday, shortly after reaching an altitude of about 100 metres.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the aircraft issued a mayday call and "crashed immediately after takeoff".

Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat state with a population of about eight million, has a busy airport located near densely populated residential areas.

"One half of the plane crashed into the residential building where doctors lived with their families," said Krishna, a doctor who did not give his full name.

Investigations begin

Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and was "ready to support them". A source familiar with the case told AFP this was the first crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.

The UK and US air accident investigation agencies have sent teams to assist Indian investigators.

Tata Group, which owns Air India, has announced financial support of 10 million rupees ($117,000) for the families of each person who died. It also said it would cover the medical expenses of those injured.

India has experienced multiple deadly air crashes in the past. In 1996, two jets collided mid-air over New Delhi, killing nearly 350 people. In 2010, an Air India Express plane crashed and caught fire at Mangalore airport, killing 158 out of 166 people on board.

Cause of crash still unknown

Experts said it is too early to determine the cause of Thursday’s crash.

"It is very unlikely that the plane was overweight or carrying too much fuel," said Jason Knight, senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth. "The aircraft is designed to be able to fly on one engine, so the most likely cause of the crash is a double engine failure. The most likely cause of a double engine failure is a bird strike."

India’s growing aviation sector

India’s aviation sector has seen rapid growth in recent years. Last month, Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), called the growth "nothing short of phenomenal".

India, with a population of 1.4 billion, is now the world’s fourth-largest air travel market. IATA has projected that it will become the third-largest within the next decade.

(With inputs from agencies)