Plane with 5 aboard goes missing in Siberia
The Antonov An-2 aircraft is widely used for agricultural and forestry purposes. (AFP pic)
MOSCOW : A plane with five people aboard, including two pilots, went missing in the deep forests of Siberia today, Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said.
The Antonov An-2, a Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane aircraft widely used for agricultural and forestry purposes, issued distressed signals over the forests of Yakutia in far northeastern Russia, TASS news agency reported, citing the local emergency ministry's office.
A search and rescue plane has been sent to locate the aircraft that was performing forestry aerial reconnaissance, Rosaviatsia said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
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Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Lone UK survivor of Air India crash says he ‘slipped out' after jet exploded into hostel
AHMEDABAD, June 13 — The lone survivor of 242 people aboard a London-bound passenger plane that crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad said Friday how even he was struggling to explain how he miraculously walked out alive from the fireball explosion. 'Everything happened in front of me, and even I couldn't believe how I managed to come out alive from that,' British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh said from his hospital bed today, speaking in Hindi to national broadcaster DD News. The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane, which was full of fuel as it took off for a long-haul flight to London, exploded into a burst of orange flame on Thursday afternoon just after taking off. Ramesh—who was in seat 11A according to media reports—was the only one aboard the plane not to be killed, with at least 24 others killed on the ground. His brother was also on the same flight, his family in Britain told reporters. 'Within a minute after takeoff, suddenly... it felt like something got stuck... I realised something had happened, and then suddenly the plane's green and white lights turned on,' Ramesh said. 'After that, the plane seemed to speed up, heading straight towards what turned out to be a hostel of a hospital. Everything was visible in front of my eyes when the crash happened.' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Ramesh on Friday at the hospital where he is being treated for burns and other injuries, footage on his YouTube channel showed. 'About to die' Ramesh, aged 40, is from the British city of Leicester, according to Britain's Press Association news agency, which spoke with his family at home. The plane smashed into the buildings just outside the perimeter of the airport. 'Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive,' he said. 'I saw the air hostess and aunties and uncles all in front of me,' he said, his voice trailing off in emotion, using a term of respect used in India for older people. 'I unfastened my seatbelt and tried to escape, and I did,' he said. 'I think the side I was on was not facing the hostel,' he added. 'Where I landed was closer to the ground and there was space too – and when my door broke—I saw that there was space, and I thought I could try to slip out.' Videos shared on social media showed Ramesh soon after, dressed in a bloodied t-shirt and limping, but walking towards an ambulance. 'My left hand got slightly burnt due to the fire, but an ambulance brought me to the hospital,' he said. 'The people here are taking good care of me.' Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian on board the flight bound for London's Gatwick airport, as well as 12 crew members. The death toll currently stands at 265, police said. Authorities have set up DNA testing for relatives of passengers and those killed on the ground to identify the scorched bodies and body parts. — AFP
Free Malaysia Today
15 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
At least 30 killed as Air India plane with 242 on board crashes near Ahmedabad
An Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad. (AFP pic) AHMEDABAD : At least 30 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad today, with the toll expected to climb, authorities said. 'The plane was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital,' Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport. 'The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,' a senior police officer told reporters. India's CNN News18 TV channels said the plane crashed on top of the dining area of the state-run BJ Medical College hostel, killing many medical students as well. It showed a visual of a portion of the aircraft perched atop the building. Rescue workers said that at least 30 to 35 bodies had been recovered from the site and that more people were trapped. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants a source told Reuters. 'Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian,' Air India said. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. 'The plane that crashed today flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014,' Flightradar24 said. 'At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,' Air India said on X. 'The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals,' it said. Crash just after take-off The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. 'My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,' Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. 'My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,' she said. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39pm from runway 23. It gave a 'Mayday' call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8% to US$199.13 in pre-market trade. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. 'It is heartbreaking beyond words,' he said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were 'devastating', and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said King Charles was also being kept updated. Modi's home state The Indian aviation minister's office said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed it to ensure all support was extended to the rescue efforts immediately. Ahmedabad is the main city in Modi's home state of Gujarat. Ahmedabad Airport said it had suspended all flight operations with immediate effect. The airport is operated by India's Adani Group conglomerate. 'We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171,' Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of the group, posted on X. 'Our hearts go out to the families who have suffered an unimaginable loss. We are working closely with all authorities and extending full support to the families on the ground,' he said. The last fatal plane crash in India was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a 'table-top' runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground. Twenty-one people were killed in that crash. The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara – a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – in 2024. Tata said an emergency centre had been activated and a support team set up for families seeking information.
Free Malaysia Today
20 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
US sees no immediate reason to ground Boeing 787 after Air India crash
Rescue workers inspect the crash site in Ahmedabad, where the tail section lies detached from the rest of the Air India plane. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : US officials said on Thursday they have not seen any immediate safety data that would require halting Boeing flights after a fatal Air India accident killed over 240 people. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy and acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Chris Rocheleau made the comments at a news conference and said they had seen videos of the crash in India. Duffy said he had spoken to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair Jennifer Homendy. An NTSB and FAA team, with support from Boeing and engine manufacturer GE Aerospace, was going to India, Duffy said. 'They have to get on the ground and take a look. But again right now it'd be way too premature,' Duffy said. 'People are looking at videos and trying to assess what happened, which is never a strong, smart way to make decisions on what took place.' Duffy said the FAA was reviewing information with Boeing and GE as part of the investigation into the crash. Duffy also emphasised the US government 'will not hesitate to implement any safety recommendations that may arise. We will follow the facts and put safety first.' Rocheleau said, 'As we proceed down this road with the investigation itself, if there's any information that becomes available to us regarding any risk, we will mitigate those risks.' Duffy said the FAA is 'prepared to send additional resources to get the data we need to ensure the safety of the flying public.'
