Ahmedabad: Fifteen-year-old Akash Patni wasn’t aboard the doomed Air India flight nor inside the BJ Medical College hostel it crashed into—but he too became a casualty of India’s deadliest air disaster in over thirty years, reported The Hindustan Times.

On Friday, a day after the London-bound jetliner crashed in Ahmedabad, Akash, who had been sleeping under a tree beside his family's tea cart near the hostel, was confirmed dead.

As forensic teams continued scouring twisted wreckage and overwhelmed officials worked to identify charred remains at the mortuary, Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai estimated the death toll to be between 265 and 270, according to the report.

The Gujarat government said eight bodies had been identified and handed over, including four BJ Medical College students, two family members, and two others from nearby residential areas, though their names were withheld.

BJ Medical College dean Dr Meenakshi Parikh confirmed that “four doctors and two of their family members have died in the crash,” and noted that six to seven staff members from the hostel mess were also missing, reported The Hindustan Times.

Officials later confirmed that two of the mess workers had died.

Additionally, three slum residents near the crash site were reported missing, though details were not disclosed.

Ravi Thakor, who works in the college dining hall, said his mother, Sarla, and daughter Aadya, were in the mess at the time and hadn’t been located. “It has been 24 hours but I have not got any clue about what has happened to them,” he was quoted as saying by HT.

Air India stated that 241 of the 242 people aboard Flight AI-171 were confirmed dead. By Friday night, the total number of fatalities neared 250, with up to ten more still unaccounted for.

Akash’s death marked yet another site of devastation—the street. His elder brother Kalpesh, who does odd jobs, said the family had run the tea stall near the hostel for three decades.

“At the time of the incident, it was business as usual for my mother and brother. I received a call at 1.30pm informing about the incident,” he said, the HT reported.

According to Kalpesh’s aunt, Akash had dozed off under a tree nearby as his mother Sita, 40, managed the stall.

Hearing a loud crash, Sita fled the scene but didn’t realise her son was lying under the tree. “She literally came out alive from the fireball but Akash wasn’t as lucky,” Kalpesh was quoted as saying by HT.

Sita sustained burn injuries and is being treated in the ICU of Civil Hospital.

The crash occurred just 33 seconds after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner lifted off from Ahmedabad, en route to London Gatwick.

The aircraft, still with its landing gear deployed, descended slowly before slamming into the hostel and erupting into a massive fireball, carrying nearly 125,000 litres of fuel.

Data from Flightradar24 showed the plane reached 625 feet at a speed of 174 knots before impact.

At the site, the aircraft’s tail cone, with its stabiliser fins partially intact, was lodged atop the hostel mess building.

Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Dr Rakesh Joshi declined to comment on the deceased, while other officials said DNA analysis was underway to identify remains.

A police officer said the final death toll may only be confirmed after 72 hours.

“The toll could be very high. I went to the crash site. I could not find a single body in one piece,” said Girish Vanjara, a PRO at the women’s and children’s hospital nearby, according to the report.

Sahana Ren, a cook at the hostel mess, said she was still trying to trace several people, including her sister-in-law.

Over 50 people were in the mess when the plane tore through the roof. “I was on the second floor when the plane hit,” she told Hindustan Times. “The roof began collapsing immediately under the enormous weight of the aircraft. Within moments, everything went dark as smoke filled the air.”

By Friday, DNA samples had been collected from relatives of about 219 victims, the report said.

Ten Forensic Science Laboratory teams comprising 36 experts were working round the clock, the state government said.

Fifty people injured in the crash were admitted to Civil Hospital.

Of these, 16 were treated as outpatients, while 31 remained hospitalised.

Around a dozen were expected to be discharged by Friday evening.

Among the injured was Rajeshbhai Patni, a 47-year-old auto-rickshaw driver who was dropping off passengers near the hostel.

“I saw the plane exploding when it hit the roof. I saw red and black flames emerging from the building. I left my auto rickshaw and ran for my life,” Rajeshbhai, now recovering from chest and leg injuries, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.