Officials say Boeing debris likely to be moved to secure space for ‘reconstruction'; probe not hit by rain

Indian Express

3 hours ago

As monsoon hit Gujarat, the wreckage at the site where the London Gatwick-bound AI 171 crashed on June 12 killing 241 of 242 onboard among several others in buildings and on the road, is likely to be placed in a 'secure space' either in the airport, or elsewhere, that will be allotted by the Gujarat government for 'reconstruction'.
Sources familiar with the developments said that the air crash investigators will be seeking to requisition a hangar or other large space, where the debris will be transported and reconstruction will take place. Discussions for the same are currently underway.
A senior official, who did not wish to be named, said, 'A secure hangar at the airport or another secure site in another location, will be given to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for the aircraft debris.'
Parts of the plane, specifically the tail section, which had become embedded in the buildings of the Attulyam hostels of the B J Medical College, were removed, and on Tuesday, teams from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation broke down sections of the compound wall of the Atulyam hostels to enable easy access to the road.
Further, the Cattle Nuisance Control Department (CNCD) of the AMC were directed to scour the entire area for stray animals who may try to pick at human remains if they were still undiscovered at the site. Naresh Rajput, the Head of CNCD at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation told the Indian Express, 'The CNCD teams have been deployed at the crash site and they have picked up 6 stray dogs from the vicinity of the crash site. They have been placed in the kennel.'
Top sources in the state government told The Indian Express that despite the battering rain since June 16, the crash investigation remains unimpeded. Senior police officials Tuesday said evidence collection and other investigations continued through the day with the support of local agencies.
Senior city police officials, who were earlier deployed at the crash site, have now been returned to carry out the preparations for the Jagannath Rath Yatra scheduled from June 27. The yatra will be held about 11 km from the crash site.
However, Traffic police personnel have been deployed to secure the zone, where the Indian AAIB – the lead agency, along with the National Transport Safety Bureau (NTSB) of the US, and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the British Department of Transport, are working. Boeing officials have also visited the site.
Regarding fear that evidence might be damaged in the rain, a senior police officer said, 'All the important parts of the crash site and parts of the crashed plane have been covered to protect it from the rain.'
The officer added: 'There is no waterlogging on the site and proper care has been taken to ensure the site is unaffected by such natural factors.'
Gujarat government's Civil Aviation department is the nodal office liaising with investigators from the AAIB and has already provided an office space to the AAIB in the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Ltd (GujSAIL) building, located on the airport premises.
Dr Rajendra Kumar, Secretary, Civil Aviation, Gujarat, told The Indian Express, 'We are the nodal department to provide all logistical support to the AAIB, and the GujSAIL building is their camp office now. They are using our meeting room and we are providing all facilities and storage space.'
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation officials also told The Indian Express that 40 workers and 10 engineers have been deployed to the crash site on shifts, along with bulldozers and cranes, to assist the AAIB investigators.
Two teams of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) continue to be deployed at the site with power tools to cut and move larger pieces of debris for the investigators.
With bodies of some of the crash victims still being recovered more than three days after the crash, especially from the plane's tail section and from the debris of the hostel building, paramedics and doctors continue to be deployed for identification and transport of remains, if any, from the site.