A New Delhi -bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flight has been forced to turn back on Monday after the pilot said the jet was facing a technical issue mid-air. The plane returned to its origin of Hong Kong as a precautionary measure, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

“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.