"Deeply Shocked": S Jaishankar On Air India Plane Crash
New Delhi:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said he is "deeply shocked" to learn about the Air India flight that crashed minutes after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport.
The external affairs minister is currently on an official tour abroad.
"Deeply shocked to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad. Our prayers are with the passengers and their families," Mr Jaishankar posted on X.
A London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed in a crashed into residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors in Ahmedabad's Meghaninagar area minutes after taking off from the airport on Thursday afternoon. Many people were feared dead.
According to Air India, the ill-fated Air India flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick had 169 Indians, 53 British, and one Canadian national on-board.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
EAM Jaishankar conveys "deep concern" about Middle East situation to Iran FM
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with Iranian FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi, expressing the international community's deep concern over recent events between Iran and Israel. Jaishankar urged both sides to avoid escalation and return to diplomacy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads External Affairs Minister @drsjaishankar had a phone conversation with FM @araghchi this evening. EAM conveyed the deep concern of the international community at the turn of events. He urged avoidance of any escalatory steps and an early return to diplomacy. @MEAIndia - India in Iran (@India_in_Iran) June 13, 2025 Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tehran: Indian Embassy in Iran on Saturday stated that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, where he urged an early return to conveyed the deep concern of the international community at the awry state of a post on X, the Indian Embassy stated, "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a phone conversation with FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi this evening. EAM conveyed the deep concern of the international community at the turn of events. He urged avoidance of any escalatory steps and an early return to diplomacy."Jaishankar said in a post on X, "Spoke to Iranian FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi this evening on the latest situation."Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal in a statement also expressed concern on the situation between Iran and Israel."We are deeply concerned at the recent developments between Iran and Israel. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation, including reports related to attacks on nuclear sites. India urges both sides to avoid any escalatory steps. Existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy should be utilised to work towards a de-escalation of the situation and resolving underlying issues. India enjoys close and friendly relations with both the countries and stands ready to extend all possible support. Our Missions in both countries are in contact with the Indian community. All Indian nationals in the region are advised to exercise caution, stay safe and follow local security advisories," he Friday, Israel began a preemptive strike against Iran, Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz said, as per The Times of declared an emergency situation across the country due to Israel's action in Iran."Following the State of Israel's preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future," The Times of Israel quoted Katz as saying.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Insurance premiums to rise in bad year for aviation, say experts
New Delhi It's a payout no one -- neither airliners nor passengers -- hopes would ever come to pass, but aviation insurance is set to get costlier amid rising risks and air fatalities, experts say. Mishaps and war have already ratcheted up the stakes, capping a dream run of low, stable premiums, which are poised to jump this year. The lumbering Russia-Ukraine conflict, a spate of air accidents and the apparent start of an Israel-Iran clash have added significantly to those risks, an industry executive said, requesting anonymity. Earlier this month, a UK judge ruled that insurance companies must compensate aircraft lessors and airliners for planes seized by Russia as part of its counter-sanctions reprisal, adding a new dimension to aviation insurance. The year 2025 was already beginning to prove to be a tipping point with the Potomac River mid-air collision in the US this January. It shattered the calm of 2023 when no large plane was involved in a fatal accident, according to aviation groups. The encounter between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an army helicopter near Washington was the deadliest US disaster in over a decade. 'This changed sentiments dramatically in New York and London, two financial centres where the largest aviation reinsurance businesses are concentrated,' said Mathew Pannerselvam of Troth Broking Ltd. The crash of Air India AI 171 outside Ahmedabad's airport on Thursday has already made 2025 the deadliest in a decade globally with over 480 fatalities, according to figures from the Virginia-based Flight Safety Foundation. The London, Gatwick-bound Boeing 787 jetliner crashed moments after taking off, unable to power its initial climb and barely able to clear a neighbourhood just outside the runway. Insurance payments to follow from the Air India crash are likely to be the costliest in Indian aviation history because of the extent of damages, including to properties on the ground and non-passenger fatalities, the executive cited in the first instance said. The accident resulted in the complete destruction of the aircraft and the death of all but one passenger. The payouts could potentially reach nearly $100 million if the totality of liabilities is taken into account, said a second executive from Marsh India, an investment advisory firm, requesting anonymity. The main insurer of the Air India Dreamliner was TATA AIG while several other firms underwrote part of the liabilities, including National Insurance and Oriental Insurance, a third industry analyst said, asking not to be named. Most large insurers opt for reinsurance, an arrangement where the original insurance firms protect themselves against losses by transferring their own risks to a reinsurer at a cost. 'In aviation, this is the norm and very little risks remain with the original insurers,' one of the industry executives cited above said. In the case of the AI 171 flight too, just about 10% of the liability will have to be borne by Indian insurers, whose aviation businesses are covered under a global reinsurance programme, the third analyst cited above said. Aviation insurance is never a single product, analysts said. A commercial plane typically is covered by several types of risk packages. The most critical ones include cover for hull losses during flight and taxiing, as well as when an aircraft is stationary. Passenger liability covers allow airliners to compensate the next of kin in case of fatal accidents. Tata Sons, the conglomerate that owns Air India, on Thursday announced that it would pay ₹1 crore to the next of kin of each passenger on board the fatal flight. Airliners also need to take out a public liability policy for third-party compensation, just as in car insurance, to pay for damages caused to other aircraft, objects or people. Insurance premiums make up no more than 1.5-2% of airlines' costs, very little compared to spending on fuel or maintenance, and premiums can range from $45000 to $150,000, depending on aircraft type, age and routes travelled, among other parameters, according to data from AerCap Holdings NV. The insured value of a commercial jetliner can range from $112 million to $230 million. The insurance industry is 'good at adapting to changes' and risks from emerging wars were earlier considered 'second-order risks', Bruce Carnegie-Brown, the chairman of Llyod's of London, one of the largest aviation insurers, told Bloomberg last month.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Modi At Plane Crash Site: Heartbreaking, beyond words says PM
Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday and visited the site of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash that killed 241 people a day earlier, one of the worst air disasters in recent times. The Prime Minister arrived at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport and drove straight to the crash site in the Meghaninagar area, officials said. He was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Modi visited the C7 ward of the hospital, where 25 injured people are undergoing treatment. He also met the lone survivor of the crash - Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Modi, who served as Gujarat Chief Minister for 12 years, earlier said he was "stunned" by the tragedy. "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," he said on X on Thursday. The crash took place seconds after AI 171 took off for London Gatwick airport from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Officials said the flight lost altitude soon after taking off at around 1.30pm, before crashing into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors in Meghaninagar area and going up in flames, sending plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air.
