Media: Death toll in devastating Air India plane crash rises UPDATED

The death toll from the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in western India has risen to over 310, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the country’s history.

Authorities have confirmed that over 240 passengers and crew members aboard the ill-fated aircraft have perished, Caliber.Az reports, citing Indian media.

The plane, en route to London, crashed shortly after takeoff near Ahmedabad airport.

Tragically, the destruction extended beyond the aircraft itself. An additional 75 fatalities have been reported on the ground, where the airliner struck a medical hostel adjacent to the airport. Emergency crews continue to search through the wreckage for victims and any possible survivors.

The aircraft reportedly lost altitude rapidly moments after takeoff before crashing into the densely populated area. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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Some 290 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from the western city of Ahmedabad, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.

Citing official police sources, Reuters confirmed the staggering death toll, Caliber.Az reports.

The ill-fated flight was en route to London, carrying a total of 242 passengers and crew. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft inexplicably plummeted and crashed into a nearby medical hostel situated adjacent to the airport.

Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, but the scale of the tragedy has left authorities grappling with the magnitude of the catastrophe. Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the crash, with officials pledging full transparency as they work to uncover the facts.

At least one person is known to have survived, police said, and the man told Indian media how he had heard a loud noise shortly after take-off.

The plane came down in a residential area, crashing onto a medical college hostel outside the airport during lunch hour. It was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital.

City police chief G.S. Malik told Reuters that 204 bodies had been recovered from the crash site. Vidhi Chaudhary, another senior police officer, said police found one survivor who was in seat 11A, adding that there could be more survivors in hospital.

"Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed," 40-year-old Ramesh Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times, which showed a boarding pass for seat 11A in that name online.

"It all happened so quickly," he told the paper from his hospital bed.

"When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me," he said. "Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital."

He said that his brother Ajay was seated in a different row on the plane. "He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva