India plane crash death toll rises to 279

Updated casualty figures

The revised toll from a senior officer in the city, who requested anonymity in order to speak to the media, raises an earlier figure of 265. The increase makes it one of the deadliest plane disasters of the 21st century.

Flight details

Air India said there were 242 people on board the flight bound for London's Gatwick airport, only one of whom survived. At least 38 people were killed on the ground when the plane smashed into residential buildings near the airport.

Identification process

The official casualty number will not be finalized until the slow process of DNA identification is completed. Air India reported that there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members.

Crash circumstances

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call moments before it crashed around lunchtime on Thursday after lifting barely 100 meters (330 feet) from the ground. Investigators recovered a black box recorder on Friday from the crash site, with forensic teams still looking for the second.

Boeing's response

US planemaker Boeing said it was in touch with Air India and stood "ready to support them" over the incident, which a source close to the case said was the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner.