"Cannot give any numbers until site is completely cleared": NDRF official Hariom Gandhi on Ahmedabad plane crash
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 13 (ANI): National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) official Hariom Gandhi on Friday said that the six teams of the NDRF are working on the Ahmedabad's plane crash site and the total number of casualties will only be revealed after the site is completely cleared.
Speaking to reporters at the site, NDRF official Hariom Gandhi said, 'Our team is on standby and working. Our six teams are working on the ground. Wait for some time... We cannot give any numbers until the site is completely cleared.'
A total of 241 people onboard the Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, including 12 crew members, have died in the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday.
'The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform you that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital, Air India posted on X.
The flight, which was operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.
The passenger plane crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Gujarat's Ahmedabad into a resident doctors' hostel building shortly after take-off.
Miraculously, one person has survived the deadly crash, the airline authorities said, adding that the survivor was a British national of Indian origin.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.
According to Air Traffic Control (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.
Immediately after departing from Runway 23, the aircraft fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. An official stated that heavy black smoke was emanating from the accident site.
The Tata Group has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each person who lost their lives in the crash. (ANI)
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