Air India plane crash: reactions from across the world
People gather near a damaged building at the site where an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12. REUTERS/Amit Dave
A tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India, June 12. REUTERS/Amit Dave
People gather near a damaged building and trees as firefighters work at the site where an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12. REUTERS/Amit Dave
More than 200 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 on Thursday, authorities said.
Here's what world leaders have said so far:
INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI, ON X:
"The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. 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."
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER, ON X:
"The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating."
"I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time."
BRITAIN'S KING CHARLES, IN A STATEMENT ON X:
"My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning. Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones."
THE VATICAN'S SECRETARY OF STATE, ON X:"Deeply saddened by the tragedy involving an Air India aircraft near Ahmedabad, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV sends his heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives, together with the assurance of prayers for all involved in the recovery efforts.""Commending the souls of the deceased to the mercy of the Almighty, His Holiness invokes upon all affected the divine blessings of healing and peace."
BANGLADESH CHIEF ADVISER MUHAMMAD YUNUS IN A MESSAGE TO MODI:
"We extend our deepest condolences to all the families who lost their dear ones at this tragic incident."
"We stand in solidarity with the people and Government of India, and offer our full support in any form."
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN, ON X: "My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones grieving this terrible loss."
"Dear @narendramodi, Europe stands in solidarity with you and the people of India in this moment of sorrow."
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TO MODI, IN AN OFFICIAL TELEGRAM PUBLISHED ON KREMLIN WEBSITE:
"Please accept my deep condolences on the tragic consequences of the airliner crash at Ahmedabad airport."
"Please convey words of sincere sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes of a swift recovery to all those injured in this catastrophe."
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON, ON X:
"We have learned with deep emotion of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India. In this time of sorrow, I extend our heartfelt thoughts to the victims' loved ones and to Prime Minister @NarendraModi."
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE, ON X:
"The news of a passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad is absolutely devastating. In this time of tragedy, Australia's thoughts are with everyone affected."
"Our government is receiving regular updates and we will continue to monitor the situation closely." IRISH PRIME MINISTER MICHEAL MARTIN, ON X: "My thoughts and prayers are with the people of India after the terrible plane crash in Ahmedabad earlier today. Thinking of the families of all those on board, along with the emergency services attending the scene."
GENERAL SECRETARY OF BRITISH AIRLINE PILOTS' ASSOCIATION AMY LEVERSIDGE:
"Pilots around the globe are deeply saddened by this news. Members of the British Airline Pilots' Association send condolences to all those affected.
"It is vital a full and thorough investigation is now carried out without interference or unhelpful speculation about the contributory factors so that future tragedies can be avoided." REUTERS
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AsiaOne
2 hours ago
- AsiaOne
'In shock': British Indians mourn crash victims at London vigil, World News
LONDON -Dozens of members of Britain's Indian community gathered at a Hindu temple in London on Saturday (June 14) for a vigil mourning the victims of this week's Air India crash, many of whom had personal connections to the temple. Leaders from the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, Zoroastrian and other communities offered their prayers, as those in attendance, hands folded, recited chants. A representative of Britain's King Charles read out a message from him and offered Christian prayers. Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the Siddhashram Hindu temple in Harrow, likened the grief of those who lost family members in the crash of the London-bound flight to the wait for a loved one's return from an endless journey. "They're just waiting and waiting, now they are not going to come back again," he said in an interview. Guruji, who comes from the state of Gujarat where the plane crashed, said the temple had helped family members in Britain get information about their loved ones. "Some of the members ... I have spoken to them, and ... they don't have the words," he said. "They are in shock." Britain has one of the largest Indian communities outside India, with nearly 1.69 million people - or 3.1 per cent of the population - identifying as ethnically Indian. [[nid:719065]] "We believe that everyone who is born has to go one day. But I hope nobody goes the way these ... passengers, as well as the medical students, have gone," said Harrow Mayor Anjana Patel, who lost a family member. Only one of the 242 passengers and crew on board survived the crash, while others were killed when the plane struck a medical college's hostel. Patel told Reuters that the council was offering grief counselling. "We just cannot bear how people must be feeling," she said. Jyotsna Shukla, 66, said her son's childhood friend was on the plane with his wife and three children. "I feel very bad because he was so young," she said, before breaking down into tears. Among those killed was Vijay Rupani, a former chief minister of Gujarat, who had visited the temple.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sole survivor in Air India crash and Thai singer both survive separate plane crashes from seat 11A
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Straits Times
6 hours ago
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Dead bodies, mangled luggage, debris haunt rescuers at Air India crash site
Workers prepare to remove the tail section of Air India Flight AI171 from the crash site in Ahmedabad, India, on June 14. PHOTO: ATUL LOKE/NYTIMES AHMEDABAD - Students of the B.J. Medical College were having lunch in their hostel dining hall on June 12 when a Boeing 787 jet loaded with fuel smashed into the building and exploded. Flight AI171 had taken off just minutes earlier from a nearby airport in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, before making a perilous descent that ended in the death of all but one of the 242 people aboard. The number of casualties among those on the ground and the building the plane slammed into is less clear. Those that rushed to the site in the wake of the crash were met with haunting visuals: a charred plane wing lay strewn across a road. Fragments of another wing and engine parts were nearby, along with clothes and mangled bags. A pungent smell of burnt debris lingered in the air. 'The blast was so intense that no one could approach the site initially,' said Mr Rajesh Patel, a 56-year-old real estate businessman. He was heading home for lunch on June 12 afternoon, but instead spent the next seven hours helping pull out bodies from the wreckage along with rescue workers. 'The scene was horrific, with bodies scattered everywhere.' About 150 to 200 people, including students and workers, were inside the medical college hostel building when disaster struck, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported. 'We collected the remains in bags and clothing, and later used sarees and sacks,' Mr Patel said. 'The rescue operation continued until 9 p.m., during which I personally collected around 50 bodies.' The official death toll will be announced only after DNA verification, according to Mr Amit Shah, India's federal home minister. Investigators are combing the wreckage to determine what caused the Boeing Co. Dreamliner to crash. One of the two black boxes from the plane have been found, India's Aviation Ministry said on June 13. The last communication from flight captain Sumeet Sabharwal to air traffic control was 'Mayday…no thrust, losing power, unable to lift,' the UK's Telegraph newspaper reported. The flight was carrying 12 crew and 230 passengers, most of whom were Indian and British nationals. Mr Azaz Vohra, 29, has been waiting outside the local hospital since June 12 evening to collect the bodies of his cousin and two other relatives, including a child. 'We had dropped Yasmin Vohra, my aunt, cousin Parvez Vohra, and his four-year-old daughter Zuveria Vohra at the airport on Thursday,' Mr Vohra said. Mr Vohra's cousin had visited India for dental treatment, bringing along his younger daughter while his wife and elder daughter stayed behind in the UK, he said. 'We haven't received any updates from the hospital authorities,' Mr Vohra said, showing photos of his relatives on his phone. Ahmedabad is the biggest city in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat. The country's premier business school is also located there. Mr Modi visited the crash site on June 13 and met the lone survivor from the Air India flight. 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise,' Mr Vishwash Ramesh Kumar, who sat in the first row of economy class, told local reporters, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper. He walked out unassisted from the burning plane. 'There were dead bodies around me. I got scared. I got up and ran. There were pieces of the plane everywhere,' he said. Media outlets identified him as a UK citizen aged 40, from the city of Leicester. Dead bodies were being released in batches on June 13 from the hospital's post-mortem room. Medical students were overcome with emotion as they received the bodies of friends who had lost their lives. At the crash site, surrounded by burnt debris and scattered aircraft parts, a woman who identified herself as Babhiben was sitting in anguish, mourning the loss of her grandson. The 14-year-old boy, Akash, was neither a passenger nor a resident at the hostel. He simply happened to be in the neighbourhood. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
