PM Modi Visits Ahmedabad Plane Crash Site, Black Box Recovered

News18

2 days ago

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Air India Flight AI-171 crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday, killing all but one of the 242 passengers aboard.
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: India experienced one of its worst aviation disasters after a London-bound Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, resulting in overwhelming loss of life that shook the nation.
Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (registration VT-ANB), crashed minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. It was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members to the London Gatwick Airport (LGW).
As many as 265 bodies have been brought to the city's civil hospital following the horrific crash, a police official said. The Central government has initiated an investigation into the exact cause of the crash, and an investigation team from the UK is also coordinating with Indian authorities.
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Top Points
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad in the wake of the deadly plane crash. He pledged full government support for the families of the victims and called for a thorough probe into the incident. He also met the lone survivor, Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson met Prime Minister Modi on Friday and briefed him about the steps taken by the airline after the accident. Wilson promised to provide all possible help to the affected families. The meeting between the two lasted for 20 minutes.
The Central government has set up a high-level committee to probe the crash. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had visited the Air India crash site yesterday and ruled out any foul play, according to sources.
Hours after the crash, authorities found the black boxes that will help in revealing what triggered the accident. The black box provides a second-by-second reconstruction of what happened inside the cockpit and across the aircraft systems before the crash.
Earlier in the day, the postmortem of all the bodies was completed, and the pilot, co-pilot, and one crew member aboard the doomed flight had been identified.
Over 200 DNA samples had been collected from the victims' families and are being verified against retrieved bodies from the crash site. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said an official death count would be given after the DNA analysis was completed, a process that can take 72 hours.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the deceased victims. His wife, Anjali Rupani, arrived in Gujarat amid an outpouring of shock and grief at his demise in yesterday's plane crash.
Chaos ensued at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital as relatives of victims started rushing to the facility. Authorities appealed to the public to cooperate with the green corridor for the ambulance.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he was in touch with his counterparts from the UK, Portugal, and Canada regarding the Ahmedabad plane crash. He expressed profound condolences and offered full support in this hour of grief.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron, as British investigators are working with Indian officials to determine the cause of the plane crash.
Air India had confirmed in the early hours of Friday that 241 passengers had lost their lives, while one British national miraculously survived the crash. As many as 265 bodies had been brought to the city's civil hospital.
The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) formally offered its assistance, and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it would send a team of investigators to India to support the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) India-led investigation.
First Published:
June 13, 2025, 17:05 IST