Elderly couple dies in Ahmedabad plane crash on their way to meet son in London
An elderly couple from Maharashtra's Solapur district who planned to meet their son in London died on board the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, reported PTI.
68-year-old Mahadev Pawar and his wife 60-year-old Asha, who hailed from Sangola Tehsil's Hatid village lived in Ahmedabad and were among the 241 passengers who died after an Air India flight crashed minutes after its take-off.
Also Read: Moments leading up to Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad: A blow-by-blow account
"Mahadev Pawar used to work in a textile mill in Nadiad (in Gujarat). He had two sons - one living in Ahmedabad and the other in London. The couple was on board the plane that crashed minutes after the take-off," an official told PTI.
The London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, leaving only one survivor.
Also Read: Miracle survivor of Air India crash was in 11A, often called 'most hated' seat on flights
Of the total passengers onboard, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.
Air India offered their condolences to the bereaved families and stated that a team of caregivers would be provided by them for additional support in Ahmedabad.
They pledged their full support towards an investigation into the cause of the plane crash and further announced that they would set up a dedicated passenger hotline to provide more information on the matter.
The aircraft involved in the accident was first flown on December 14, 2013, and delivered to Air India in January 2014, the agency said in a post on 'X'.
Just after the accident several video footage from the crash site emerged, showing heavy plumes of black smoke rising from the densely populated Meghani Nagar neighbourhood.
Parts of the plane crashed into the residential area and a medical college hostel as well, leading to more casualties and injuries. DNA tests of all the dead bodies are being carried out before confirming the final death toll, stated Union home minister Amit Shah.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
20 minutes ago
- India Gazette
"It was a horrible scene:" Local recounts Air India flight crash site horror
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India] June 13 (ANI): Raju Bhai Kapadia, a man who lives near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, where an Air India plane crashed on Friday, recounted the horror following the mishap. The airline said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash. 'My house is 700m away from the crash site. We got to know that a massive fire had broken out,' a local Kapadia told ANI on Friday. Upon reaching the scene, the resident said he saw police, the fire department, and many local people, including BJP workers, present. 'I reached the spot and I saw that the police, the fire department and a lot of local people, including workers of BJP, have also come was a very horrible scene, as everywhere there were bodies, completely burnt bodies,' the resident added. Another local who resides near the AI-171 crash site said, '...My house is located 100-200m away from the crash site. The fire was still burning when I was a horrible sight to witness. There were half-cut and completely burnt bodies all over the area... Meghani Nagar has active roads. The situation of local commuters is still not known...' The AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. The airlines said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash, claiming the lives of 241 people on board the Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, including 12 crew members, Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday. 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. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is a division of the Ministry of Civil Aviation tasked with probing aircraft accidents in India. A formal investigation has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the deadly crash of Air India flight 171 that killed 241 people onboard, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed on Thursday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met with Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the lone person to miraculously survive the Air India plane crash a day ago in which all the other 241 passengers died. The Prime Minister, who arrived in the city earlier today, also met with others admitted to the same hospital with injuries sustained after the Air India flight to London crashed, soon after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport, into a medical college complex in Meghaninagar nearby. Before arriving at the hospital, PM Modi inspected the plane crash site and took stock of the ground situation. He also held a review meeting with the officials at the airport in Ahmedabad. (ANI)
India Gazette
20 minutes ago
- India Gazette
DGCA orders enhanced safety inspection on Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 fleet
New Delhi [India], June 13 (ANI): A day after the tragic Air India plane crash in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, India's civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Friday ordered enhanced safety inspections on Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 fleet. As a preventive measure, the DGCA has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on B787-8/9 aircraft equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect, in coordination with the concerned regional DGCA offices. Air India has been asked to conduct a few one time check before departure of flight from India starting Sunday. The tests include inspection of Fuel Parameter Monitoring and associated system checks; inspection of cabin air compressor and associated systems; Electronic Engine Control-System Test; Engine Fuel Driven Actuator-Operational Test and oil system check; Serviceability check of Hydraulic system; and Review of Take-off parameters. Besides, Air India has been asked to introduce 'Flight Control Inspection' in transit inspection till further notice. Further, power assurance checks must be carried out within two weeks. DGCA has also asked the Tata Group-owned airline to close maintenance actions as soon as possible based on the review of repetitive snags on B787-8/9 aircraft during the last 15 days. The regulator told Air India that all the reports of these checks are to be submitted to the DGCA for review. On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI 171, was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the site of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad. The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder that had been recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR. The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground. The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of 241 people onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. 'Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement. The investigation is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met the survivor and other injured people. According to airline authorities, the passengers on board included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. (ANI)
India Gazette
20 minutes ago
- India Gazette
NIA, other Central agencies visit Ahmedabad plane crash site to assist in investigation
New Delhi [India], June 13 (ANI): A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), as well as officials from other Central agencies, visited the Ahmedabad airport crash site to assist in the ongoing investigation, sources said on Friday. The agencies visited the spot on Thursday following the tragic incident involving the international flight AI-171, bound for London, which crashed soon after the catastrophic takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed shortly after takeoff. Barring one miracle survivor, no one else could be rescued. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those killed in the crash. Air India has confirmed that 241 out of 242 people aboard the flight have died. While initial assessments pointed to a mechanical failure as the likely cause, the presence of the NIA suggests that the government is not ruling out any possibility until all angles are thoroughly investigated. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and local police are already conducting parallel investigations. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft departed at 1.38 pm on Thursday, just minutes after takeoff, it crashed into the hostel mess of BJ Medical College--around 5 kilometers from the Ahmedabad airport where more than 100 students were having lunch. A massive explosion followed flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky, visible from a distance. The lone survivor has been identified as Vishwaskumar Ramesh, who was en route to London with his brother. (ANI)
