Ahmedabad Plane Crash Deaths Rise To 274, Include Those On Board And On Ground
New Delhi:
At least 274 people were killed in one of India's deadliest plane crashes involving a London-bound Air India flight in Ahmedabad earlier this week, sources said on Saturday.
The casualties, the sources added, include the passengers and crew on board AI 171, and local residents on ground.
There were 242 people - 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 crew members - onboard the aircraft that crashed into a medical college seconds after taking off for London Gatwick Airport from Ahmedabad on Thursday. Of these, only one - an Indian-origin British national - survived the crash. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the victims. Click Here For Ahmedabad Plane Crash Live Updates
According to sources, the victims include 10 doctors and their relatives who were staying at the residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors in Meghaninagar area. Twenty-four MBBS students, who were injured in the incident, are still under treatment.
The aircraft's black box has been found and more than 100 workers and 40 engineers are engaged in the efforts to remove the wreckage from the premises, the sources said.
On Thursday, AI 171 - belonging to Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 fleet - crashed seconds after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Officials said the aircraft lost altitude soon after taking off at around 1.30pm. It crashed into the residential quarters of the medical college before going up in flames, sending plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air.
The pilot had issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said.
Aviation experts said that going by the available visuals, lack of thrust in both engines and a bird hit could be among the probable causes. Visuals from the wreckage area showed bodies being pulled out and the injured, many with burns, wheeled into the city civil hospital close by.
Many questions surround the circumstances that led to the fatal crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the first of its kind the aircraft debuted in 2011. Some pertain to what happened in the last 30 seconds of the flight, why the plane was not able to pick up thrust, and if any faults arose with the flaps or engine controls.
The black box of the plane was recovered from the rooftop of the medical college hostel building on Friday. Details from the black box will also help segregate technical from human fault, apart from giving a clear sequence of events.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site to review the situation. He also visited the lone survivor and the injured in the hospital.
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