Air India disaster LIVE: ‘Black box found' amid hunt for answers behind takeoff crash that killed 265 as victims named

Scottish Sun

a day ago

Harrowing footage shows the moment the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off
JET MYSTERY Air India disaster LIVE: 'Black box found' amid hunt for answers behind takeoff crash that killed 265 as victims named
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
INDIAN authorities have reportedly found one of the two black boxes as they continue to hunt for answers behind India's worst aviation tragedy.
The doomed Air India flight crash killed at least 265 people, including those on board and locals on the ground.
9
Akeel Nanabawa, 36, his wife Hannaa and their four-year-old daughter Sara died in the crash
Credit: PA
9
Raxa Modha, a mum-of-three, is thought to have died alongside her grandson
Credit: Facebook / Raxa Modha
9
Brit couple Fiongal (left) and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek are believed to have been the Air India flight
Credit: Facebook / Jamie Greenlaw-Meek
9
The plane was seen wedged in a building
Credit: Reuters
Indian aviation authorities are said to have located one of the two black boxes - and it is now being safely guarded, Hindustan Times reports.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation will now collect the equipment to analyse the recordings.
Meanwhile, a tragic drip-feed of information has revealed more names of those among the 265 who died at the crash site in Ahmedabad.
Among the Brits who died in the crash were two whole families of three and four, a mum-of-three with her grandson, a pair of sisters and a wellness business couple.
A British family from Gloucester: recruitment consultant Akeel Nanabawa, 36, his wife Hannaa, 30, and their four-year-old daughter Sara, were killed.
A Facebook post from the Gloucester Muslim Community said: "We are profoundly heartbroken by the devastating loss of life. During this moment of overwhelming sorrow, our hearts go out to all those left behind."
Akeel was a keen amateur footballer and helped coach youngsters.
Mum-of-three Raxa Modha, 55, of Wellingborough, Northants, and her two-year-old grandson, Rudra, also died on the flight.
Wellingborough mayor Raj Mishra said: "May their memories be a blessing, and may we come together to support one another in this time of grief."
Javed Ali Syed, a hotel manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel, died alongside his wife, Mariam, and their two young children, Amani, four, and Zayn.
Sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi, from London, were in seats 17J and 17H when the plane came down, and had been in India for their grandmother's birthday.
Brit couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who ran a wellness centre and appeared on ITV in January, were also aboard.
Hours before the crash they posted on Instagram about their "mind-blowing" trip.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits - smashed into a doctors' hostel shortly after take-off on Thursday morning.
9
Huge plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky
Credit: X
9
Javed Ali Syed, a London hotel manager, died alongside his wife Mariam and their two young children
9
The couple were on their way back from a celebration in India
Credit: Facebook / Akeel Nanabawa
9
Fiongal appeared on This Morning in January to talk about people's auras
Credit: instagram
9
Police have said that over 265 people were killed in the disaster, after locals on the ground were also crushed by the huge plane.
Along with dozens of Brits, 169 Indian nationals, a Canadian and seven Portuguese travellers were also on board.
The Dreamliner lost contact just seconds after take-off, according to flight tracking website Flightradar.
A final alert was last logged less than a minute after it started the journey from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, only ever reaching an altitude of 625ft.
Seconds before the crash, the Boeing was filmed flying low over the Meghani Nagar residential area before it disappeared behind buildings and a huge blast erupted.
Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen pouring into the sky.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating."
King Charles also said both he and Queen Camilla are 'desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning'.
The US-built Boeing 787 is one of the world's most advanced airliners and the accident is the first fatal crash involving the plane.
Read our live blog on the Air India plane crash...