June 12 (UPI) -- Police in the Indian city of Ahmedabad said one person survived and more than 260 died in the Air India plane crash as recovery efforts continue on Thursday.
The lone survivor was among the airliner's 242 passengers and crew after the aircraft crashed in a populated area and struck a medical college, The New York Times reported.
Several students died when the plane struck the medical college, which raised the death toll to nearly 270.
A hospital near the crash site received 269 bodies, but the exact death toll won't be announced until after DNA testing is done, according to local police.
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The survivor has been identified as a British citizen named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
He was in seat 11A on the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that was bound for London when it crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in Ahmedabad in western India, BBC News reported.
His brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, told the BBC that his brother doesn't know how he survived or got out of the plane.
"Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly," Ramesh told media.
Air India previously announced that Flight AI171 was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.
Air India Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson has since explained the plane was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
The plane took off from Ahmedabad Airport at about 1:38 p.m. local time en route to London Gatwick Airport.
It crashed into a residential area near the Ahmedabad airport after reaching an altitude of 625 feet shortly after takeoff.
Part of the plane struck the dining area of B.J. Medical College.
Federation of All India Medical Association Vice President Dr. Divyaansh Singh announced in a X post that reports indicate there are 10 to 20 casualties from its student body and resident doctors.
He also has requested that those in or near Ahmedabad donate blood to help those injured in the accident.
Ahmedabad Police also posted a list of 25 people who were injured, most of whom are between the ages of 18 and 20.
Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran announced in a statement that he and the airline's parent company Tata Group "are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India Flight 171."
Chandrasekaran further explained that his company will cover the medical expenses of those injured, provide support to B.J. Medical College and give around $117,000 to the families of each person who died in the crash.
He concluded the statement by noting, "We remain steadfast in standing with the affected families and communities during this unimaginable time."
