Air India crash death toll finalized at 260; sabotage not ruled out, says aviation minister

India has confirmed the final death toll from the Air India Flight AI-171 crash at 260, following the completion of DNA testing of all remains recovered from the wreckage site near Ahmedabad.

This includes 241 people on board the flight and 19 individuals on the ground who died after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area on June 12.

Officials say that the identification process involved advanced forensic DNA analysis to match victims with family samples. With the identification process complete, authorities have begun the process of returning remains to families for final rites.

Speaking on the status of the ongoing investigation, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol stated that "no angle is being ruled out," including the possibility of sabotage.

Mohol while talking to media said the government is conducting a thorough investigation via the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and all potential causes — ranging from technical failure to human error, and foul play — are being closely examined.

"It is premature to conclude anything right now. The sabotage angle has not been ruled out, but it is one among several hypotheses," said Mohol.

This statement follows earlier remarks that CCTV footage, ground handling logs, and maintenance records are being reviewed to trace every action involving the aircraft prior to takeoff from London.

Security agencies are also working in tandem with aviation authorities as part of the multi-agency probe.

The AAIB has recovered and is analyzing the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which are expected to provide critical insight into the sequence of events that led to the crash.

Initial reports suggest the aircraft experienced technical distress shortly after entering Indian airspace, but no official cause has been declared so far.

The crash of AI‑171 is considered one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history, drawing comparisons with past incidents like the 2020 Kozhikode runway overrun and the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision.