Search and recovery teams in India are continuing their efforts to comb through the aftermath of one of the country's most tragic aviation incidents, as the death toll from the Air India plane crash in Gujarat state has climbed to at least 270 people, officials reported on Saturday.

The Boeing 787 aircraft bound for London crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff on Thursday, claiming the lives of 241 passengers on board and at least 29 individuals on the ground. Only one passenger survived the crash.

By late Friday, recovery teams had recovered an additional 25 bodies from the wreckage, bringing the total number of bodies received at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad to 270. The lone survivor is currently being treated for injuries and is expected to be discharged soon, according to Dr. Dhaval Gameti.

Relatives of the victims have been providing DNA samples at the hospital to aid in the identification process, which has been slowed down due to the condition of the bodies. Some family members have expressed frustration over the delay, urging authorities to expedite the process.

Investigators have recovered the plane's flight data recorder, commonly known as the black box, which is expected to provide crucial information about the cause of the crash. The device will offer insights into engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will reveal cockpit conversations.

Experts believe that answers regarding the crash could be available as early as next week, pending the analysis of the flight data recorder. Factors such as wing flap settings, engine performance, cockpit alarms, and crew actions are all being scrutinized to determine the sequence of events leading up to the tragedy.

The Air India crash involving a 12-year-old Boeing 787 has raised concerns about the safety of Boeing aircraft, although this incident marks the first fatal crash involving the 787 Dreamliner in its 16 years of operation.