The Hindu Morning Digest: June 13, 2025
Air India confirms 241 out of 242 aboard AI171 dead
Air India said that 241 people, out of the 242 on board AI171, died in the tragic crash of the Ahmedabad-London flight. 'The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital,' Air India said in a statement.
Survivor of Air India crash jumped out of emergency exit, police say
Ramesh Viswashkumar, the only known survivor out of the 242 people onboard an Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday (June 12, 2025), had been sitting near an emergency exit of the London-bound flight and managed to jump out, police said. Speaking from his hospital bed, the 40-year-old said that he was a British national and was travelling to Britain with his brother after visiting family in India.
Israel launches 'pre-emptive' strikes on Iran amid nuclear tensions
Explosions rang out across Iran's capital as Israel claimed it was attacking the country. People in Tehran, Iran, awoke to the sound of the blast. State television acknowledged the blast. Explosions were heard northeast of Iran's capital Tehran early on Friday (June 13, 2025), the state-run Nour News said. However, it said the reasons were not immediately clear. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a 'special situation' in Israel over the strikes on Iran. He said schools would be closed in the country on Friday. There was no immediate word on what was struck.
Ahmedabad air crash: 'We could not determine if the victims were children or adults'
The bodies retrieved from the B.J. Medical College premises where the London-bound Air India plane crashed on Thursday (June 12, 2025) were charred, making it difficult to determine if they were children or adults, paramilitary officials involved in the rescue operation told The Hindu. Police Commissioner G.S Malik told The Hindu that 204 bodies were recovered from the crash site, and 41 injured persons were rushed to the hospital. He said the DNA and blood samples of the deceased were being preserved for identification.
Ahmedabad air crash: Overloading, 'bird hit' among probable causes, say experts
While the causes of the A1-171 flight crash in Ahmedabad are being investigated and information from the flight data and cockpit voice-recorder was awaited, aviation experts theorise — judging from videos of the plane's short flight — that overloading, a potential bird hit and the rare instance of both engines failing could have prevented the air-plane from getting sufficient 'lift' to ascend.
Ahmedabad plane crash: Giant plane tears through hostel; some students missing, 60 hurt
Over 100 MBBS students of B.J. Medical College at Meghani Nagar in Ahmedabad were having lunch in the boys' hostel mess on Thursday afternoon (June 12, 2025) when an Air India flight to London crashed into the building shortly after take-off. At least five MBBS students, one PG resident doctor and the wife of a superspecialist doctor of the medical college were killed and over 60 medical students injured, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) said.
En route to London to join his family, former Gujarat CM Rupani perishes in crash
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, 69, was among those who perished in the crash of Air India 171 flight from Ahmedabad to London on Thursday (June 12, 2025), confirmed Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil, who described the loss as one 'deeply felt by the BJP family'. Rupani was en route to London to join his wife and other members of his family.
Bengaluru stampede: Karnataka High Court declares arrest of Nikhil Sosale of RCB and others illegal
In a major setback for the State government and the police, the High Court of Karnataka on Thursday declared as 'illegal' the arrest of four representatives of Royal Challengers Sports Private Ltd. (RCSPL) and DNA Networks Pvt. Ltd. They were arrested on June 6 in connection with the June 4 stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here during the celebration of RCB's victory in IPL-2025 tournament. Also, the court directed the immediate release of the arrested persons without any delay while granting them interim bail.
Modi-Carney meeting on G7 sidelines to focus on bilateral reset: MEA
The upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney will provide an 'important opportunity' to discuss matters of bilateral interest, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday (June 12, 2025). Addressing the weekly media briefing, Mr. Jaiswal noted that mutual security concerns are being addressed through 'existing mechanisms' between both countries.
India condemns vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh
India on Thursday (June 12, 2025) 'strongly' condemned the vandalisation of the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district. Addressing the weekly press briefing, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said the attack was part of a 'broad pattern' of assaults on the pluralist culture of Bangladesh.
One killed as two girders collapse at Metro Rail work site in Chennai
Two I-girders launched for building the 3.15 km flyover under the Chennai Metro Rail's phase II corridor in Manapakkam crashed on Thursday (June 12, 2025) night, killing one person who was riding a two-wheeler on the road below. Till late in the night, police personnel and Chennai Metro Rail workers were involved in removing the girders and retrieving the body of the person whose identity was yet to be known.
China says approved 'certain number' of rare-earth export licences
China said on Thursday (June 12, 2025) it had issued a 'certain number' of licences to export rare earths after U.S. President Donald Trump hailed this week's deal that would see the country provide the vital elements 'up front'. The economic superpowers said after talks in London that they had achieved progress in dialling down a brutal trade war that has roiled markets and threatened global supply chain chaos.
U.N. nuclear watchdog board censures Iran, which retaliates by announcing a new enrichment site
The U.N. nuclear watchdog's board of governors on Thursday formally found that Iran isn't complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore United Nations sanctions on Tehran later this year. Iran reacted immediately, saying it will establish a new enrichment facility 'in a secure location' and that 'other measures are also being planned.'
Easing food prices push retail inflation down to six-year low of 2.8% in May
Retail inflation eased to a 75-month low of 2.8% in May 2025, driven downwards by falling food inflation, according to data released on Thursday. Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index was last lower than this in February 2019, more than six years ago. Overall, based on the two months of data available for this financial year, retail inflation has averaged 2.99% in 2025-26, the lowest average for the first two months of a financial year since 2017-18.
Australia's Cummins rips through South Africa batting in WTC final
Australia captain Pat Cummins produced a sensational spell of four wickets for just one run as the title-holders seized control of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's on Thursday (June 12, 2025). South Africa were bowled out for 138 in reply to Australia's first-innings 212 on the second day with the 30-year-old Cummins finishing with final figures of 6-28 as he went to 300 career Test wickets
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Against all odds — Seat 11A survivor escaped Air India crash from front, not the ‘statistically safer' rear
Vishwaskumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of Thursday's Air India flight 171 crash that killed 241 people, defied all odds to make it out alive. Remarkably, he escaped from the front of the aircraft—an area typically considered less safe than the rear in the event of a crash. Kumar, who is currently recovering from injuries in a local hospital, told DD News — 'The side of the plane I was on landed on the ground next to the hostel. When the door broke, I saw that there was space, and tried to get out. On the opposite side, there was the hostel, and I saw no one could leave from there. There was some space (to exit) only where I was (seated).' Row 11 on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner—the aircraft that crashed into a hostel for medical students in Ahmedabad—is located just behind an exit door on either side, with business class seats positioned ahead. Seat 11A, a window seat, is right next to the exit door, with a cabin crew seat facing it directly in front. 'It all happened before my eyes. I myself can't believe how I escaped alive. For some time, I also thought I'm going to die. However, when my eyes opened, I realised I'm alive. I removed my seat belt and tried to leave the plane. In front of me, an air hostess and some passengers were all dead,' Kumar said in the video interview. A confluence of factors would have resulted in Kumar coming out alive from the crash. Which is the safest seat in an aircraft and would 11A qualify? There is no clear answer. But the tail section is seen to be the safest from a statistical point of view. Kumar was seated just ahead of the wing box area, the projected part of the wing that is structurally stronger than the rest of the aircraft. The wings are loaded with jet fuel and likely exploded on impact. Being ahead by three rows would have helped. By sheer luck, the section of the aircraft where Kumar was seated struck the ground—unlike the tail, which lodged atop the hostel—and somewhat withstood the impact of the explosion. More importantly, an exit door immediately to his left, with open space outside, provided a clear path to escape, according to his testimony. Statistically, the front of the plane—where Kumar escaped from—is considered less safe than the rear. The Time magazine, in a 2015 study, analysed 35 years of crash data up to that year and reported that fewer people who were sitting in the back died in plane crashes. According to the study, seats in the back third of the aircraft had a 32 per cent fatality rate, compared with 39 per cent in the middle third, and 38 per cent in the front third. Looking at row position, the study found that the middle seats in the rear of the aircraft had the best outcomes (28 per cent fatality rate). The worst-faring seats were on the aisle in the middle third of the aircraft cabin (44 per cent fatality rate). In April 2012, a team of television studios staged an airplane crash in Mexico, where a Boeing 727-200 fitted with crash test dummies and other scientific instruments was flown into the ground. The test result showed that passengers at the front of an aircraft would be the ones most at risk in a crash, while those seated closer to the airplane's wings were reported as having suffered survivable injuries. The test dummies near the tail section were largely intact, so most passengers there would have likely walked away without serious injury. Another study, done by American popular science magazine Popular Mechanics in 2007, found that those seated behind the trailing edge of the aircraft wing had a survival rate of 69 per cent. It was 56 per cent for those in the middle section, and 49 per cent for the seats in the front of the plane. These statistical trends are very specific to the circumstances of the crash in question. In some crashes, such as when the tail hits the ground first, fatalities could be higher in the rear of the aircraft. In others, where the front or the middle of the aircraft bears the major brunt of the impact, those in the rear may have a better shot at surviving the accident. It is worth noting that the Time magazine study found that in a number of crashes, survival was random — 'those who perished were scattered irregularly between survivors'. The FAA has consistently stated that there is not any one section of an airplane that is more or less safe than another and that the most important thing passengers can do for their safety on any flight is follow crewmember instructions.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Ahmedabad Plane Crash Deaths Rise To 274, Include Those On Board And On Ground
New Delhi: At least 274 people were killed in one of India's deadliest plane crashes involving a London-bound Air India flight in Ahmedabad earlier this week, sources said on Saturday. The casualties, the sources added, include the passengers and crew on board AI 171, and local residents on ground. There were 242 people - 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 crew members - onboard the aircraft that crashed into a medical college seconds after taking off for London Gatwick Airport from Ahmedabad on Thursday. Of these, only one - an Indian-origin British national - survived the crash. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the victims. Click Here For Ahmedabad Plane Crash Live Updates According to sources, the victims include 10 doctors and their relatives who were staying at the residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors in Meghaninagar area. Twenty-four MBBS students, who were injured in the incident, are still under treatment. The aircraft's black box has been found and more than 100 workers and 40 engineers are engaged in the efforts to remove the wreckage from the premises, the sources said. On Thursday, AI 171 - belonging to Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 fleet - crashed seconds after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Officials said the aircraft lost altitude soon after taking off at around 1.30pm. It crashed into the residential quarters of the medical college before going up in flames, sending plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air. The pilot had issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said. Aviation experts said that going by the available visuals, lack of thrust in both engines and a bird hit could be among the probable causes. Visuals from the wreckage area showed bodies being pulled out and the injured, many with burns, wheeled into the city civil hospital close by. Many questions surround the circumstances that led to the fatal crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the first of its kind the aircraft debuted in 2011. Some pertain to what happened in the last 30 seconds of the flight, why the plane was not able to pick up thrust, and if any faults arose with the flaps or engine controls. The black box of the plane was recovered from the rooftop of the medical college hostel building on Friday. Details from the black box will also help segregate technical from human fault, apart from giving a clear sequence of events. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site to review the situation. He also visited the lone survivor and the injured in the hospital.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Eerie Parallels Between Ahmedabad Crash And 1978 'Emperor Ashoka' Tragedy
New Delhi: The catastrophic crash of Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, into a residential area near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday bears a startling resemblance to the plunge of Air India flight AI 855, the Emperor Ashoka, into the Arabian Sea off Mumbai nearly five decades ago. The Emperor Ashoka crash, 3 km off Mumbai, killed all 213 aboard. In both incidents, the aircraft crashed moments after departure. The 1978 Disaster On New Year's Day, 1978, Air India flight AI 855, named Emperor Ashoka, Air India's first Boeing 747, departed Santa Cruz International Airport (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport), Mumbai, bound for Dubai at 20:12 IST. The flight, carrying 190 passengers and 23 crew members, was delayed from its morning schedule due to a bird strike damaging a wing flap the previous day. Approximately one minute after takeoff from Runway 27, having been cleared to climb to 8,000 feet, the aircraft entered a gentle right turn over the Arabian Sea. The Captain's Attitude Director Indicator (ADI), the primary instrument displaying the aircraft's pitch and bank attitude relative to the horizon, malfunctioned. It remained fixed, indicating a right bank, even as the wings levelled. The Captain, 51-year-old Madan Lal Kukar, with nearly 18,000 flight hours, voiced immediate concern. The First Officer was Indu Virmani, 43, a former Indian Air Force commander with over 4,500 flight hours. Flight Engineer Alfredo Faria, 53, one of Air India's most senior engineers with 11,000 hours, observed the discrepancy between the Captain's ADI and the third, standby ADI. With the aircraft now over the Arabian Sea at night, no visual horizon reference existed. Relying on his malfunctioning ADI which still showed a right bank, Captain Kukar applied left control inputs to correct the perceived right bank. "My instruments,'' the pilot said suddenly, according to the recorder recovered from the wreckage. "Mine is also toppled," said the co-pilot. "No, but go by this, captain," Flight Engineer Faria warned. The warning went unheeded or was acted upon too late. The aircraft continued rolling left to an extreme bank angle of 108 degrees and entered a steep, approximately 35-40 degree nose-down descent from around 2,000 feet. It impacted shallow water, only 10 metres deep, approximately 3 kilometres offshore. All 213 on board died. According to a 1982 New York Times report, the official investigation concluded the probable cause was: "Irrational control wheel inputs given by the captain following complete unawareness of the attitude of the aircraft on his part after his ADI. had malfunctioned." The Ahmedabad Incident Forty-seven years later, in the afternoon of June 12, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed within seconds of takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Like AI 855, it plunged near the airport, this time into a residential area. Veteran pilot Captain Rakesh Rai who flew the same type of Dreamliner for Air India until last year, speaking exclusively to NDTV, noted the aircraft's undercarriage remained extended throughout its short, doomed flight. "His [pilot's] rate of rotation and the way he has climbed up is very normal. But something has gone wrong towards maybe an altitude of 400 to 500 feet. And the momentum has taken the aircraft to about 600 feet. At this point, the most surprising aspect of this take-off is that the undercarriage has not been retracted," he said. Captain Rai outlined several plausible scenarios. "What happens in a normal take-off is that the moment you start rotating the aircraft for take-off and the aircraft has left the ground, the instruments indicate a positive rate of climb. So, the co-pilot or the pilot monitoring gives a call, 'positive rate'. The pilot flying cross-checks that there has been a positive rate and he gives a call, 'gear up' for the landing gear to be retracted," he said. "But here, what you see is the undercarriage has not been retracted at all. So that raises a lot of questions as to what could be the reason behind the undercarriage not being retracted. We can only speculate. The actual reason behind that will come out only in the DFDR 9black box)," the veteran pilot told NDTV. At least 274 people have died as a result of the Ahmedabad crash, including 241 out of 242 on board.
