Air India flight bound for UK crashes with at least 240 on board
Flight AI171 was travelling to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed in a civilian area near to an airport in the city of Ahmedabad, local police reported.
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News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Nothing worked': Haunting video hours before Air India crash
Shocking footage showed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's interior with defective TV screens and 'no air conditioning at all' when it flew from Delhi to Ahmedadbad – two hours prior to the horror smash. Air India Flight AI171 was en route to London Gatwick when it crashed into a hostel used by doctors on Thursday. It had 242 people on board, including 53 Brits and 11 children. So far, 204 bodies have been recovered, and one Brit is believed to have survived. On X, Akash Vasta claimed that he had flown on the very same aircraft just two hours before it crashed. He posted horrifying footage which showed many parts of the plane not functioning properly during its second last ever flight. He said on X: 'I was in the same damn flight 2 hours before it took off from AMD. I came in this from DEL-AMD.' The shocked passenger added that he had 'noticed unusual things' in the plane which he suggested may have been telltale signs that it was defective. In the concerning footage, he can be heard saying: 'The AC is not working at all. And as usual, your TV screens are also not working, neither this button for calling the cabin crew.' He said: 'Nothing is working. Nothing! Not even the light is working.' The worried passenger asked: 'Is this what you are providing?' He also complained that he was 'sweating like hell' due to the lack of AC, and stated that this was why 'Air India is considered one of the worst airlines in the world'. It comes as one 40-year-old Brit, Ajay Kumar Vishwash, claimed that he cheated death after jumping off the flaming Air India jet before it crashed. Unbelievable footage showed Vishwash walking away from what is understood to be the crash site of the doomed Air India flight to London Gatwick. Vishwash, who still had his boarding pass, told Hindustan Times: '30 seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.' Full harrowing CCTV footage has also now shown the Boeing 787 taking off before appearing to lose power in Ahmedabad in the west of India. The plane was flying to London Gatwick Airport and was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. Video showed the plane taxing down the runway before taking off at around 1.38pm local time from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. It also showed the plane take to the sky – before it appears to stop climbing and then plummet back down to earth. The flight then crashed in a fireball into a doctor's hostel. Police are now hunting through the rubble and wreckage for any survivors. According to flight tracking website Flightradar, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner's final signal was received just seconds after takeoff. This was last logged at 1:38pm local time – less than a minute after it started the journey. It had only reached 625ft at the time, officials believe. In a statement the airline said: 'Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick was involved in an accident on 12 June 2025.' 'At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest opportunity.' Out of the 242 on board, 169 were Indian travellers, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals alongside the Brits.
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- News.com.au
Tiny detail from survivor may help solve Air India mystery
The death-cheating Brit sole survivor of the Air India disaster has revealed a clue that something was wrong just moments before the crash. Vishwash Ramesh, 40, said the cabin lights began flickering before the jet sank through the air – a detail which could help solve the mystery of the catastrophe, The Sun reports. Recalling the moments before tragedy, Vishwash, from Leicester, said: 'When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. 'Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white. 'The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' Vishwash's flickering lights revelation comes after a passenger, who took the plane the day before the crash, claimed electrical parts such as the back-of-seat screens weren't working. Aviation experts have speculated that the reports of dodgy electrics could be a sign of a power failure, possibly explaining the crash. Air India is keeping an open mind as to what went wrong and caused the deaths of 52 Brits. Theories being considered include issues with the engine thrust, flaps and landing gear – as well as a bird strike and a pilot error. And the Indian government's investigation is also considering whether Air India was at fault in any way. India's aviation regulator had recently ordered the airline to safety check its entire Boeing 787 fleet. Vishwash is the only person who can provide an insider's witness account of the moment – and previously said he has 'no idea' how he survived. He said: 'I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me [ …] I walked out of the rubble.' The lucky escapee speculated: 'I think the side I was on was not facing the hostel. I don't know about others.' Other analysts have suggested he managed to escape thanks to a flying piece of fuselage – which was caught soaring through the air on video. Vishwash's seat was 11A, right next to the emergency door, which is understood to have blown off when the plane struck the building and then exploded. In the unbelievable footage, a tiny object is seen flying away for a split second – right before the jet is engulfed in flames. Investigators continue to analyse the footage and search for the mystery piece of debris as they try to find out what caused the horror crash. Recalling the moment of disbelief when he found himself alive, Vishwash said: 'At first, I thought I was dead. Later, I realised I was still alive and saw an opening in the fuselage. 'I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening and crawled out.' 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. 'Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.' Vishwash that the plane caught fire before he fought through the rubble – and then exploded when he was just out of harm's way. Footage shows Vishwash, staggering and caked in blood with locals helping him an ambulance. Speaking in Hindi, he says: 'I just got out of the plane, it exploded.' From there he was rushed to hospital, and has since heaped praise on the medical staff treating him. He said: 'My treatment is going well, and the people are very supportive.' Vishwash's brother Ajay was on-board the plane and died.
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- News.com.au
WA announces investigation into electric bikes and scooters
The WA government will launch a statewide investigation into the safety of electric bikes and scooters in response to growing community concern. The government will set up a bipartisan Parliamentary Committee to find ways to strengthen the safety and regulation of the 'e-rideables'. The state has had four fatalities involving e-rideables since the start of the year, including that of Perth dad Thahn Phan, who was allegedly hit by a British tourist last week on a rented e-scooter. Following that incident the state government said that it needed to do more. 'We have very strict regulations about the speed of e-scooters,' said Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti. 'But it's obvious we need to do more on compliance.' she said. The committee is set to investigate the expansion of penalties, how the vehicles are rented, how they are used in congested areas and how technology like speed limiting can be used to make them safer. Announcing the new committee, Police and Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said the government wanted to do 'as much as possible' to keep everyone safe from e-rideables. 'I've become increasingly concerned about safety issues around e-rideables and e-scooters and I'm particularly concerned about the safety and the vulnerability of pedestrians as well as those people who ride these devices,' Mr Whitby said. 'And I think there's a growing community concern also.' Other measures to be considered by the committee are night-time curfews and the use of e-bikes and e-scooters in entertainment districts. Asked by reporters on Saturday morning, Mr Whitby said a ban of the vehicles on footpaths would 'absolutely' be considered. Mr Whitby said it was important that the state had a bipartisan approach to the reforms, acknowledging that he wanted the community to work together. The committee will deliver its report in September and Mr Whitby said in the meantime the police would need to maintain 'vigilance' in their enforcement. E-bikes have come under fire nationally in recent months as fatalities continue to mount.
