India sets up high-level panel for Air India plane crash investigation

India's government has set up a high-level committee tasked with investigating the cause of the Air India jet crash. Local media reported that the death toll exceeds 279, including people killed on the ground.

The plane bound for London Gatwick Airport carrying 242 people crashed on Thursday shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, a city in the state of Gujarat. The government on Saturday announced the formation of the committee, which is independent from the investigation by the aviation authorities. The committee includes officials from the government and the military. It's due to hold its first session on Monday and plans to submit a report in three months.

The plane hit a medical college dormitory. Four students were reportedly left dead and more than 40 others injured at the facility, with many workers and their family members feared dead. Only one person out of the 242 people on board the plane was confirmed to have survived.