In a recent development, Indian authorities have adjusted the death toll from the tragic crash of flight AI171, citing inadvertent double-counting of some remains.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad in Gujarat to London Gatwick airport, plummeted to the ground shortly after takeoff, sparking a massive investigation into the cause of the disaster.
As reported by Breitbart, one of the two black boxes from the ill-fated aircraft has been retrieved, providing a glimmer of hope in the ongoing investigation. Over 24 hours after the horrific incident, investigators are still meticulously combing through the crash site and nearby buildings, searching for additional human remains and aircraft parts that could shed light on the catastrophe.
Initially, the death toll was presumed to be 242, considering the magnitude of the crash and the ensuing inferno. However, in a miraculous turn of events, one survivor was found among the wreckage. The death toll was later adjusted to 290 to account for those who lost their lives in the buildings struck by the Boeing jet. This figure, too, has been revised.
The latest figures released by Indian authorities put the death toll at 241 onboard fatalities and 24 ground casualties, totaling 265. A senior police officer attributed the revision to the double-counting of some body parts in the initial assessment. However, this provisional total will remain unconfirmed until DNA testing of the human remains is completed. Authorities have urged relatives of the deceased to provide DNA samples to aid in the identification process.
The Indian national press has reported that identification might be less complicated in some cases, as the majority of the victims were found still strapped into their seats. The swift release of the flight manifest by Indian authorities led to the quick identification of the sole survivor of flight AI171, UK citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated in seat 11A, an exit row seat next to the door.
Ramesh, a resident of Leicester, recounted his harrowing experience to the media after meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Agence France-Press, Ramesh said, Everything happened in front of me, and even I couldnt believe how I managed to come out alive from that Within a minute after takeoff, suddenly it felt like something got stuck I realised something had happened.
Ramesh further described the terrifying moments leading up to the crash, stating, Everything was visible in front of my eyes when the crash happened Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive I unfastened my seatbelt and tried to escape. Despite the exit door being damaged upon impact, Ramesh managed to squeeze through a gap and escape the wreckage.
He added, My left hand got slightly burnt due to the fire, but an ambulance brought me to the hospital.
In response to the tragedy, the Indian government has directed Air India to conduct safety inspections across its entire fleet of Boeing 787s, though it has refrained from grounding the planes.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of stringent safety measures in aviation, a sector where the cost of negligence can be devastatingly high.
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