Air India Plane Crash: Indian High Commission in UK issues emergency number for relatives of passengers
London [UK], June 12 (ANI): The Indian High Commission in the UK has released an emergency number for relatives of passengers who were onboard the Air India Flight AI171, which crashed in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday. It asked people to use this number only for emergency visa-related queries about the next of kin.
The Indian High Commission in the UK stated that people can call on emergency numbers issued by Air India and India's Ministry of Civil Aviation for all other queries. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
One survivor has been found in the deadly crash of an Air India plane that rammed into a nearby doctors' hostel shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, a senior police officer said.
In a statement shared on X, the Indian High Commission in the UK stated, 'Following the tragic accident involving Air India Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, next of kin or relatives of any passengers on board can contact us on our emergency number 07768765035 with regard to emergency visa assistance to travel to India if needed.'
'Please use this number only for emergency visa-related queries of next of kin. For all other queries, including for information about the tragedy, please use the emergency numbers of Air India (1800 5691 444) and India's Ministry of Civil Aviation (011-24610843, 09650391859). Please Note: To ensure that those in need of assistance have priority, Media are urged to not call on the above number. Please refer instead to our official social media handles,' it added.
https://x.com/HCI_London/status/1933134940612214803
Air India said that among the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian national.
'Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident,' the airline said.
The aircraft was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8200 hours of experience. The official added that the copilot had 1100 hours of flying experience.As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23.
It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC. Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. The official said that heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat government has mobilised three teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 90 personnel, from Gandhinagar to the crash site to aid rescue operations. The Ahmedabad City Police has released an emergency helpline number for assistance and information related to the crash.
'Ahmedabad City Police Emergency Number for Police Emergency Services and necessary information related to the Ahmedabad Plane Crash 07925620359,' Ahmedabad Police stated in a post on X. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Authorities start handing remains of Air India crash victims over to relatives
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Authorities have started handing over remains of the victims of one of India's worst aviation disasters after identifying some through DNA tests, days after the Air India flight crashed and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state, officials said Sunday. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Authorities start handing remains of Air India crash victims over to relatives
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Authorities have started handing over remains of the victims of one of India's worst aviation disasters after identifying some through DNA tests, days after the Air India flight crashed and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state, officials said Sunday. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived. Hundreds of relatives of the crash victims provided DNA samples at the hospital. Most of the bodies were charred or mutilated, making them unrecognizable. Rajneesh Patel, an official at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, said authorities have so far identified 32 victims through DNA mapping and their families were informed. He said the remains of 14 victims were handed over to relatives. The victims' families waited outside the hospital mortuary as authorities worked to complete formalities and transfer the bodies in coffins into ambulances. Most of them have expressed frustration at a slow pace of the identification process. Authorities say it normally takes up to 72 hours to complete DNA matching and they are expediting the process. Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government has set up a high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement Saturday. Authorities have also begun inspecting Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Saturday in New Delhi at his first news briefing since Thursday's crash. Eight of the 34 Dreamliners in India have already undergone inspection, Kinjarapu said, adding that the remaining aircraft will be examined with 'immediate urgency.' Investigators on Friday recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, from a rooftop near the crash site. The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The plane that crashed was 12 years old. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts. ___ Hussain reported from Srinagar, India.
Canada Standard
16 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Air India Plane Crash: UK sets up Reception Centre in Ahmedabad to provide support to families of British nationals
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 14 (ANI): The British High Commission in India has set up a reception centre in the Ummed Hotel near Ahmedabad airport to provide support and advice for the families and friends of British nationals following the Air India plane crash in Gujarat. According to the statement, the UK Reception Centre will remain open from 9 am to 9 pm every day, starting from today. In a post on X, the British High Commission in India stated, 'The UK has set up a Reception Centre in the Ummed Hotel to provide support and advice for the families and friends of British nationals following the plane crash on 12 June. The UK Reception Centre, near Ahmedabad airport, will be open from 0900 to 2100 every day, starting today.' The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Ahmedabad to London with 242 passengers crashed in Meghaninagar area shortly after it took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. Only one person out of the 242 people on board survived the crash. As per Air India, the passengers comprised 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals. On Friday, British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared condolences over the plane crash near Ahmedabad Airport. She stated that the UK and India are working together to establish facts and expressed readiness to support the families and friends of impacted British nationals. In a post on X, Cameron stated, 'I met with Prime Minister @narendramodi this morning. We shared condolences in the face of this tragic accident, and I offered my thanks for the work of tireless first responders here in Ahmedabad. The UK and India are working together to establish the facts. We stand ready to support the families and friends of affected British Nationals - please consult our Travel Advice for updates and contact us on the 24/7 consular helpline.' As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1:39 pm (IST) from runway 23. It gave a mayday Call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC. Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen emanating from the accident site, said the official. (ANI)
