An Air India pilot turned back his Delhi-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to Hong Kong airport as a precaution shortly after taking off on Monday, citing a technical issue, Indian media reported. Flight tracking data showed the pilot turning Flight AI315 around less than 30 minutes into the flight from Hong Kong.

“Thrust not achieved... falling... Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” the pilot said moments before the aircraft began losing height and erupted in a fireball.

Officials have also been trying to establish how many people were killed on the ground and have been continuing the slow process of matching DNA samples to confirm the victims' identities.