Teen who recorded viral Air India crash video ‘very scared', records statement

Hindustan Times

21 hours ago

A 17-year-old boy, who unknowingly captured the deadly crash of Air India AI171 in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday, recorded his statement to the police as an eyewitness.
Having captured the tragedy that claimed the lives of 270 persons, the teenager was left in distress and fear. Follow Ahmedabad plane crash live updates
Speaking to reporters, the boy, identified as Aryan, said that he was just normally filming the Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner aircraft near his rented home when it suddenly crashed and turned into a "ball of fire".
The video that Aryan captured was the one visual that gave netizens, as well as the media, the initial view of the unfortunate accident.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch issued a statement to say that Aryan's statement was recorded, and to clarify that no person was arrested for making the video, news agency PTI reported.
"He came with his father to give a statement as a witness. He was then sent away with his father. No arrests or detentions have been made," the police said.
Meanwhile, Aryan recounted the horrifying tragedy while speaking to reporters and said how within mere 24 seconds of the recording, the Air India airliner crashed.
"I felt very scared. My sister was the first one to see the video. I feel very scared because of what I saw," the teenager said.
His sister also expressed concern over her brother's well-being, saying that Aryan told her "he does not want to live here because it is dangerous", adding that the is very scared and unable to speak properly.
The landlady of Aryan's rented home, which is situated near the airport, also recounted seeing the teenager after the incident. "I found that he was unable to speak. I assured him...he remained awake for the entire night. He has become quiet, not even eating anything," she said.
Within minutes of its takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 11, Gatwick-bound Air India AI171 flight crashed into a medical hostel complex in Meghani Nagar area.
The crash of the plane, which was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, left behind just one survivor. Rest of the 241 passengers lost their lives to the tragedy. Additionally, 29 others, who were present on the ground in and around the medical hostel complex, were also killed.
The death toll in the Ahmedabad plane crash, as of Saturday, stood at 270.
The ministry of civil aviation revealed in a press conference on Saturday that the Air India aircraft had climbed to just 650 feet before it began to lose altitude.
"As per the ATC, when it tried to contact the aircraft then there was no response. After exactly one minute, the aircraft crashed in Meghani Nagar, situated about 2 km from the airport,' said civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha.