Overcrowding at crash site partially hampered firefighting, rescue efforts: Fire dept report
The initial fire department report on the Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad highlighted that overcrowding hindered firefighting and rescue operations. Onlookers blocked access to the crash site, restricting emergency teams' movements. The report recommended better communication equipment, restricted site access, and a revision of the disaster management plan.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Ahmedabad: Overcrowding at the crash site of Air India Boeing Dreamliner on Thursday partially hampered firefighting and rescue efforts, though not explicitly, the fire department said in its initial report. The report, accessed by ET, also suggested making available better communication equipment like satellite phones to "emergency team members."Access to the crash site from one side was blocked by onlookers, allowing emergency teams to conduct operations from only three directions, it said, underscoring the need for crowd management.The report recommended restricting access to "only firefighting responders, rescue team, supply team and emergency team." It also suggested "revision of the disaster management plan along with stockholders."When contacted, chief fire officer Amit Dongare told ET that the process is still on and he would speak only after the same is over.
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
Every agency stepped in to support affected students: BJ Medical College dean Dr Minakshi Parekh
Dr Minakshi Parekh, dean of the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad that lost at least four students in the Air India flight 171 crash, shares details of the ground situation, ongoing relief efforts, and the emotional toll on students and families in an interview to Prawesh Lama. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner hit the medical college's hostel buildings and dining halls on June 12, leaving four hostel buildings' facade charred, and the two mess buildings partially collapsed. Edited excerpts: What is the current situation at the college? Every agency has stepped in to support the affected students. Rooms have been arranged for all students, while food is now being provided at the postgraduate mess since the undergraduate mess was destroyed. Resident doctors have been moved to vacant flats and temporary accommodations, including those provided by the Lions Club. NGOs and private hospitals, too, have come forward offering free treatment to injured students. Every student and resident doctor has been accommodated, and our medical students are actively helping families—providing counselling and assisting with blood sample collection. There were reports of a scarcity of rooms at the hospital. How is that being handled? There is no scarcity of rooms. In fact, government officials and foreign embassy representatives visiting the crash site are also staying in our Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) officers are also working from the hospital complex since it is located close to the crash site. One of our rooms has been converted into a main office for AAIB, equipped with everything they need. A second office has also been set up at the hostel. We've repurposed spaces originally meant for other functions to ensure the investigators can work efficiently. How are you dealing with student deaths, injuries, and grieving families? More than us, it is the most challenging time for the families. However, one case that has stayed with me is from the first day — when a man insisted on seeing the bodies of his three family members in the post-mortem room. He was inconsolable. Despite our best efforts to comfort him, protocol didn't allow us to let him in. It took time, but around 12.30 am, he finally agreed to wait outside. Have grief counsellors been engaged at the hospital? We've taken great care to ensure that communication with families is handled sensitively. How do you tell a man that his son's death has been confirmed or how do you tell him to give his blood sample to confirm the death? Some have anxiety, others are disturbed, and some are breaking down. There are chances of people developing post-traumatic stress. Hence, we've deployed trained counsellors at three key points — the blood sample collection centre, the control room in the superintendent's office (where families are informed once DNA results are confirmed), and the post-mortem room where bodies are handed over. Our MD psychiatrists are conducting live sessions with families even now (she points towards a live CCTV feed showing ongoing counselling sessions at the hospital). Can you explain the DNA collection and reporting process? We're collecting DNA samples from all relatives on-site. Testing is being done by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), which is part of the National Forensic Science University. The FSL team is working around the clock. Once analysis is complete, reports are sent to the superintendent's office at Civil Hospital. Families are then contacted with the results. Three families from abroad are expected to arrive tomorrow to receive the results. The government is handling the public release of numbers and official data.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Bana liya content? Mil gye views?': Woman slammed for reel on ‘empty' Air India flight day after Ahmedabad crash
A woman filming the inside of an Air India plane she was travelling in a day after the horror crash in Ahmedabad has received severe backlash on social media. In the video, she moved the camera around to show what seemed to be an empty flight. However, what irked People was her smiling gesture while capturing the video. 'Flight Air India AI171 crashed in Ahmedabad. I am not sure if people are going to trust Boeing!' reads a part of the caption posted along with the video on Instagram. In the video, the woman smiles and giggles while showing the inside of an Air India flight. Her gesture, considering the context of the video, has irked social media users. A post shared by Angel Tyagi (@angelindubai) While a few politely asked her to be more considerate and wished her a safe journey, a few were outright furious and didn't hold back while slamming the woman. An individual wrote, 'What's so funny about this video? Seriously, have some respect for those who died.' Another slammed, 'Bana liya content? Mil gye views?' A third expressed, "Attention seeking is at its peak. I can't believe people take this as content and are happy about it." A fourth commented, "I can't believe there are people grinning ear to ear even after witnessing such a tragic event." An Air India flight crashed into a medical college hostel mess moments after taking off from an airport in Ahmedabad. The incident claimed the lives of 241 out of 242 people on board. Only one man miraculously survived. The crash also claimed the lives of people eating at the hostel mess when the plane hit the building. 'The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national. The survivor is a British national of Indian origin, Air India wrote in an X post after the crash. In another post, the airline added, 'Air India remains in mourning on the tragic loss of 241 passengers and crew members aboard flight AI171. Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and communities affected by the accident.' It continued, 'The solemn process of handing over the mortal remains and their personal effects to the next of kin is ongoing. Air India is working closely with the authorities and will be assisting in the movement out of Gujarat, and repatriation initiatives, where appropriate.'
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Air India Plane Crash: Is It Fair To Blame The Pilots Already? Why Boeing Has Much To Answer To
Last Updated: Boeing's safety track record has already been under fire, especially after the 737 MAX tragedy that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019 Thirty seconds. That was all the time the ill-fated Air India flight 171 spent in the air before crashing outside the Ahmedabad airport last week. Eleven seconds into liftoff at 1.39 pm, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal sent out a chilling call to the ATC saying: 'Mayday, Mayday, no thrust, losing power, unable to lift, going down'. Nineteen seconds later, the plane had crashed after dropping from a height of 650 feet. It was a clear, hot afternoon with the skies above Ahmedabad shimmering under 40 degrees Celsius. Everything was routine, until it wasn't. Flight 171 became the centre of one of the worst aviation disasters in India. Let's try decoding the crash, but without any verdict on what may have caused it. For that, we must wait for a detailed air crash investigation. Investigators are facing a long road ahead in solving this big mystery. The truth will emerge sooner than later from the aircraft's black box. But there are four significant tell-tale signs from the video footage of the takeoff and crash. Number 1 and the most important – the landing gear was out during the entire 30 seconds that the flight was in the air. Usually, the landing gear is retracted by the pilots within a few seconds of liftoff. Number 2 – the jury is divided over whether the flaps were extended or retracted. During liftoff, the flaps are extended to aid in lift. But the aircraft's angle during takeoff, being in a nose-up position, and grainy footage makes it difficult to ascertain if the flaps were extended or retracted. Number 3 – the aircraft had nearly exhausted the 3.5-km runway before liftoff. Was it looking for more thrust? A dust cloud can also be seen in the footage right at takeoff. Number 4 – the pilot's 'Mayday' message indicates both engines had failed as he reported no thrust or power. So, what could have happened? Aviation experts have proposed many theories. The biggest among them is a possible double engine failure due to bird strikes. This is one of the rarest occurrences – last seen in the 2009 case of US Airways Flight 1549, which landed in New York's Hudson River soon after takeoff. A Dreamliner can fly on one engine. But both failing during takeoff is catastrophic. The dust cloud seen in the footage right at takeoff could be engine-related – possibly birds being ingested, some aviation experts pointed out. But there are no visible large bird flocks or smoke trails visible in video footage. Other experts said engine stalling due to electrical or software issues in the plane is unlikely, given how sophisticated the Dreamliner is with multiple backups too. There's also a theory around the aircraft's flaps and landing gear. Captain Steve has suggested that the flaps may have been retracted, reducing lift, while the landing gear remained deployed. He has speculated that the pilots may have pulled up the flaps instead of the landing gear by mistake. Some speculate that maybe only one engine failed but the pilots turned off the live engine by mistake. But these were experienced pilots with more than 9,000 hours of flying time between them. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was a veteran at flying the Dreamliner on long-haul flights. The landing gear and flaps switch in the cockpit is located far apart, other experts pointed out. Switching off a live engine is also something basic training modules alert against. The pilots committing such cardinal mistakes is unfathomable. There would be an alert in the cockpit if this had happened. Some experts said just the landing gear being down cannot make the plane crash. Also, it is easy and convenient to blame the pilot, isn't it? The temperature was within operating conditions for the flight. Fuel contamination is believed to be unlikely too, as per some experts. So, is it a problem with the aircraft itself? Does Boeing need to answer as well? To be sure, the probe will look into all possibilities, including a cockpit error. A big breakthrough is the recovery of the black box in a relatively intact condition. The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder will be analysed by the Indian investigating agency, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). It will take the help of Boeing and GE, manufacturer of the engines. A team from the US National Transportation Safety Board will help India in the probe. A team of Boeing officials from the US is going to arrive soon as well. All 33 of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliners, meanwhile, are undergoing safety checks, additional maintenance checks and pre-departure inspections. Now I come to another big question – is there a pattern with the 787? Yes, a Dreamliner 787 has never crashed in history since its commercial start in 2011. But there have been some signs of trouble. Earlier this year, an American Airlines 787 made four emergency landings in one month – some due to faulty wing flaps. The same flaps are now under alleged scrutiny in the AI 171 disaster. The American Airlines plane was initially forced to return to Amsterdam after a problem with its flaps was detected shortly after takeoff for Philadelphia on January 7. The aircraft dumped fuel over the North Sea before landing at Schiphol airport at a higher-than-normal speed, attributed to the flaps problem. Later, this American Airlines plane was forced to abort flights to Philadelphia from Dublin, Barcelona, and Zurich. Boeing's safety track record has already been under fire, especially after the 737 MAX tragedy that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. The Ahmedabad crash on June 12 came six years after the loss of two smaller 737 Max planes, which claimed 346 lives and plunged Boeing into a near-existential crisis. And remember that after the first of these crashes, of Lion Air flight in Jakarta, Boeing had tried to put the blame on the pilots. The Max, Boeing's top seller, was grounded around the world for more than 18 months after investigators found that the crashes in 2018 and 2019 had been caused by software MCAS meant to improve the aircraft's handling. Instead, the system effectively wrestled control from the pilots, who were unaware of how it worked and how it might be overridden. The year 2025 has been deadly for aviation. Flight 171 was the second fatal commercial crash of 2025. Earlier on January 30, an American Airlines jet collided midair with a helicopter near Washington, killing all on board. Other incidents, like a Delta plane flipping on landing and another catching fire mid-air, have raised urgent questions about aviation safety in 2025. An extraordinary event in February saw a Delta Airlines plane flipped upside down after a heavy landing at Toronto airport, though all passengers and crew survived. In March, an American Airlines plane caught fire developing an engine fault and passengers were seen evacuating the plane onto the wing. The AI 171 crash, however, is the worst this year and arguably the worst ever in India. Investigators are now combing through wreckage, black box data, and cockpit recordings to uncover what exactly happened in those final seconds. For most on board, there was no hope. Out of 242 people on board, only one survived. Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old Londoner seated in 11A, was found alive in the wreckage. But more were killed on the ground as the plane crashed into residential quarters at the BJ Medical College. The toll could go well over 250. top videos View all Families demand answers. The aviation world demands accountability. The crash not only raises questions for Boeing, but also for global regulators, air traffic safety standards, and aircraft maintenance by airlines. We must make sure answers come before another disaster strikes. About the Author Aman Sharma Aman Sharma, Executive Editor - National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister's More Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Ahmedabad Plane Crash Air India boeing Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 16, 2025, 07:00 IST News india Air India Plane Crash: Is It Fair To Blame The Pilots Already? Why Boeing Has Much To Answer To
