Air India plane crash updates | A day after the catastrophic Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 241 lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the city on Friday to assess the damage and meet the lone survivor. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying passengers of Indian, British, Portuguese, and Canadian nationalities, went down shortly after takeoff, resulting in one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history.
PM Modi landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and headed straight to the crash site in Meghaninagar, where the aircraft had plummeted into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors, igniting a massive fire. He was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
At the City Civil Hospital, the Prime Minister met Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, who miraculously survived the crash. He was seated in 11A and sustained leg injuries but walked out of the burning wreckage.
On Thursday, Modi had shared his grief in a post on X, saying, “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
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The Air India AI171 flight had taken off around 1:30 pm on Thursday en route to Gatwick Airport in London when it issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call moments after becoming airborne. The aircraft lost altitude rapidly and crashed within seconds into a densely populated locality.
The Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Ahmedabad confirmed receiving the emergency signal. Experts believe the causes may include engine thrust failure or a bird strike, although investigations are still underway.
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The Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the site on Thursday. The Centre has set up a high-level committee to investigate the incident, as confirmed by Kinjarapu.
Visuals from the crash site showed bodies being retrieved from the debris, while burn victims were rushed to the hospital. Among the victims were at least five students from the BJ Medical College. A forensic team continued investigations at the site on Friday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released a statement confirming the credentials of the crew. The plane was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, with 1,100 hours.
Air India said in its official statement: “The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national. The survivor is a British national of Indian origin.”
