Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 13 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday morning, took stock of the Air India plane crash site and later visited the Civil Hospital in the city to meet those injured in the tragic mishap that occurred a day earlier.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol, and State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi accompanied PM Modi during his visit.
Upon his arrival, PM Modi was received by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and Union Minister CR Paatil.
The AI-171 flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. According to the airline, only one of the 242 passengers on board survived the crash.
There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national aboard the ill-fated aircraft. Remarkably, a British national of Indian origin was the sole survivor, airline authorities confirmed.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.
According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 13:39 IST (08:09 UTC) from Runway 23. Shortly after takeoff, the crew issued a Mayday call, but there were no responses to subsequent ATC communications.
The aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter moments after takeoff. Officials reported seeing heavy black smoke rising from the accident site.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah met with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and reviewed detailed reports about the incident. Shah stated that the chances of survival were nearly impossible due to the high temperature from the combustion of nearly 125,000 litres of fuel.
Expressing his condolences, Shah noted that the exact number of confirmed deaths would be announced after DNA verification. So far, approximately 1,000 DNA tests have been conducted.
“The plane carried almost 125,000 litres of fuel, and due to the high temperature, there was no chance of saving anyone,” Shah told the media. “I visited the crash site. Within 10 minutes of the incident, we received information. I informed the Prime Minister, the Gujarat Home Minister, the Control Room of the Home Department, the Civil Aviation Department, and the Civil Aviation Minister. The Prime Minister immediately responded, and both Union and State personnel launched a joint relief and rescue operation.”
The Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, crashed into a resident doctors’ hostel building shortly after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has launched a formal investigation into the tragedy.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that the AAIB would follow international protocols established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) during the investigation.
Naidu also announced that the Indian government would constitute a high-level committee of multidisciplinary experts to assess the crash and develop strategies to strengthen aviation safety and prevent such disasters in the future.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent federal agency, is preparing to dispatch a team of investigators to India to assist in the probe.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Tata group-owned Air India has set up a dedicated passenger helpline: 1800 5691 444. International callers can use +91 8062779200.
Additionally, the Tata Group has pledged a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of each individual who lost their lives in the crash.
(ANI)
About The Author
