‘Unimaginable': PM Modi Condoles Vijay Rupani's Death In Ahmedabad Crash, Meets His Family
Last Updated:
Expressing grief over the tragic death, PM Modi said that it was unimaginable for him to believe that Vjay Rupani is no more.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met the family of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, one of the 241 individuals, who died in tragic London-bound Air India flight crash minutes after takeoff in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Expressing grief over the tragic death, PM Modi said that it was unimaginable for him to believe that Vjay Rupani is no more. He said that Rupani had worked with him shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times.
'It is unimaginable that Vijaybhai is not in our midst. I've known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times. Vijaybhai was humble and hardworking, firmly committed to the Party's ideology. Rising up the ranks, he held various responsibilities in the Organisation and went on to serve diligently as Gujarat's Chief Minister," PM Modi said in a post on X.
PM Modi in another post said that Rupani ushered in many measures that enhanced Gujarat's growth trajectory as chief minister.
'Vijaybhai and I also worked extensively when he was Gujarat CM. He ushered in many measures that enhanced Gujarat's growth trajectory, particularly in boosting 'Ease of Living.' Will always cherish the interactions we had. My thoughts are with his family and friends in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," he added.
Vijaybhai and I also worked extensively when he was Gujarat CM. He ushered in many measures that enhanced Gujarat's growth trajectory, particularly in boosting 'Ease of Living.' Will always cherish the interactions we had. My thoughts are with his family and friends in this hour… pic.twitter.com/bH9gqVPHao — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 13, 2025
PM Modi on Friday reached Ahmedabad to take stock of situation after London-bound Air India flight, AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (registration VT-ANB), crashed minutes after taking off.
Ahmedabad Plane Crash
India witnessed one of its worst aviation tragedies on Thursday after a London-bound Air India plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, crashed into a medical college complex shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport.
In an early morning post on X at 12.41am on Friday, Air India confirmed that 241 people had perished in the crash. A police official told news agency PTI that 265 bodies had been brought to the hospital. The plane had crashed into the mess area of a medical college hostel, causing what appears to be at lease two dozen fatalities on the ground.
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.
One person survived the tragedy. The lone survivor was identified as Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh who was returning to the UK with his brother Ajay Kumar Rakesh, 45, who was in a different row inside the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The aircraft had 232 passengers and 10 crew members, including 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, on board.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement said the aircraft piloted by captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 hours of experience and first officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 hours of experience made a mayday call just before the crash.
tags :
Ahmedabad Plane Crash pm modi Vijay Rupani
Location :
Ahmedabad, India, India
First Published:
June 13, 2025, 14:49 IST
News india 'Unimaginable': PM Modi Condoles Vijay Rupani's Death In Ahmedabad Crash, Meets His Family
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
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.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Amid Iran-Israel tensions, Netanyahu dials PM Modi, briefs him on recent developments
Amid Iran-Israel tensions, Netanyahu dials PM Modi, briefs him on recent developments Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu on late Friday. PM Netanyahu briefed PM on the recent developments and the evolving situation between Israel and Iran. PM Modi shared India's concern and emphasised the need for early restoration of peace and stability in the region. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke with his counterparts in both countries on the latest situation. Jaishankar shared the update in two late night posts on X. In one post, the EAM wrote that he received a call from Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa'ar. 'Received a call this afternoon from FM @gidonsaar of Israel regarding ongoing developments,' he posted. Earlier in the day, as Israel conducted strikes at Iran's nuclear, missile and military complexes, mounting tension in West Asia, India said it is 'deeply concerned' over the recent developments between the countries and is 'closely monitoring' the evolving situation, even as New Delhi urged both nations to avoid any escalatory steps. The MEA issued the statement on Friday as tensions between Iran and Israel escalated following the strikes. Israel on Friday launched Operation Rising Lion to strike at multiple sites in Iran, which left key military commanders and nuclear scientists dead, according to reports.
