A lone passenger survived the fiery crash of an Air India passenger plane in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad that killed more than 260 people bound for London and others on the ground, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade, officials said.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, and crashed into a medical college hostel during lunch hour shortly after takeoff, sending a massive fireball into the sky.
The death toll includes medical students who were in the hostel when the plane hit the building, said Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer in the northwestern city. "Most of the bodies have been charred beyond recognition," Chaudhary said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai told reporters that "265 bodies have reached the hospital." That suggests that at least 24 people died when the jet ploughed into the hostel – and that the toll may rise further as more bodies are located.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that a single passenger survived the crash and said he met him at the hospital. A doctor said he had examined the survivor, whom he identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh.
