Ahmedabad crash: One more dody recovered from aircraft's tail section, search continues for victims

Rescuers on Saturday recovered one more body from the tail section of the ill-fated Air India Flight AI-171, bringing the total fatalities from the tragic incident to at least 274. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just 33 seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, impacting a residential area and a doctors' hostel near a Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area. The latest body was likely lodged within the aircraft's tail, which remains embedded in the building's rooftop, underscoring the severity of the impact and the widespread destruction.

The devastating crash not only claimed the lives of almost all 242 passengers and crew — including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, with only one British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, surviving — but also resulted in numerous casualties on the ground. The expanded death toll now accounts for individuals within the affected residential areas and the medical college premises. Recovery operations continue intensely as forensic experts work tirelessly to identify remains, with DNA analysis being significantly accelerated to complete the process within three days.

In response to the scale of the disaster, a team from the National Security Guard (NSG) has been deployed to assist in relief efforts at the Ahmedabad crash site. While the NSG provides crucial support to central and state agencies, officials have clarified that their role is confined to relief operations and does not include investigative authority. A multi-agency investigation involving the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ahmedabad crime branch, local police, and officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is ongoing to determine the precise cause of one of India's deadliest aviation tragedies