At least 265 people were killed in the crash of an Air India passenger plane near Ahmedabad Airport in western India, while one British passenger survived, according to major international news outlets on June 13 (local time).
According to AFP and other foreign media, police in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, western India, said they had recovered 269 bodies from the crash site of Air India flight AI171 and had begun DNA testing for identification.
At the time of the accident, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was carrying a total of 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Air India reported that 241 of those on board had died.
The New York Times reported that one British passenger survived and is receiving treatment in a hospital. His brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, told the BBC, "I don't know how my brother survived or how he got out of the plane," adding, "I heard that 30 seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed."
Air India stated that among the passengers on this flight, there were 169 Indians, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. No South Koreans were reported to be on board.
The plane crashed into the dormitory of the National B.J. Medical College, resulting in the deaths of five medical students on the ground and injuries to 50 others. Divyanshi Singh, vice president of the Indian Medical Association, told the Associated Press that "some of the injured are in critical condition, and many people are likely still trapped under the debris."
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of Air India, announced that the families of the deceased would receive $117,000 (about 150 million won) in compensation, and that the company would also cover medical expenses for the injured.
Previously, at around 1:38 p.m. on the previous day, flight AI171 departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad for London, United Kingdom, and crashed just 30 seconds after takeoff.
It was reported that a mayday (emergency declaration) was issued immediately after takeoff, followed by the crash. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
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