Rescuers search for missing people, aircraft parts after Air India crash kills over 260
India -Rescue workers searched for missing people and aircraft parts on Friday after an Air India plane crashed onto a medical college hostel in the city of Ahmedabad, killing more than 260 people in the world's worst
aviation disaster
in a decade.
The
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
with 242 people on board, headed for
Gatwick Airport
south of London, had only one survivor after it crashed onto the hostel during lunch hour.
There were deaths on the ground as well, with local media putting the toll as high as 24. Reuters could not immediately verify the number. Authorities said they were still searching for people missing on the ground.
Play Video
Pause
Skip Backward
Skip Forward
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
0:00
Loaded
:
0%
0:00
Stream Type
LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
1x
Playback Rate
Chapters
Chapters
Descriptions
descriptions off
, selected
Captions
captions settings
, opens captions settings dialog
captions off
, selected
Audio Track
default
, selected
Picture-in-Picture
Fullscreen
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text
Color
White
Black
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Opaque
Semi-Transparent
Text Background
Color
Black
White
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Opaque
Semi-Transparent
Transparent
Caption Area Background
Color
Black
White
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Transparent
Semi-Transparent
Opaque
Font Size
50%
75%
100%
125%
150%
175%
200%
300%
400%
Text Edge Style
None
Raised
Depressed
Uniform
Drop shadow
Font Family
Proportional Sans-Serif
Monospace Sans-Serif
Proportional Serif
Monospace Serif
Casual
Script
Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values
Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
You Won't Believe What Homes Cost in Citeureup
Homes Cost | Search Ads
Learn More
Undo
Rescue personnel continued their search through the night and early morning, hunting for missing aircraft parts amid the debris that could explain why the plane crashed soon after taking off.
Local newspaper Hindustan Times reported that one of two black boxes from the plane had been found. Reuters could not verify the report and the paper did not say whether the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder had been recovered.
Live Events
Residents living in the vicinity said that construction of the hostel for resident doctors was completed only a year ago and the buildings were not fully occupied.
"We were at home and heard a massive sound, it appeared like a big blast. We then saw very dark smoke which engulfed the entire area," said 63-year-old Nitin Joshi, who has been living in the area for more than 50 years.
CCTV footage showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge fireball could be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses.
Parts of the plane's fuselage were scattered around the smouldering building into which it crashed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building.
Air India said the lone survivor, a British national, was being treated in the hospital.
The man told Indian media how he had heard a loud noise shortly after Flight AI171 took off.
Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, said on Thursday the death toll was more than 240, revising down a previous toll of 294 as it included body parts that had been double counted.
The dead included Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat state, of which Ahmedabad is the main city.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hails from Gujarat, has visited the site and Air India Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson also arrived in the early hours of Friday.
The company has said the investigation would take time. Planemaker Boeing has said a team of experts is ready to go to India to help in the probe.
It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, a wide-body airliner that began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said.
The last fatal plane crash in India, the world's third-largest aviation market and its fastest growing, was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm.
The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara - a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines - in 2024.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
17 minutes ago
- News18
King Charles to lead moments silence for Ahmedabad plane-crash victims
Last Updated: London, Jun 14 (PTI) Britain's King Charles III will on Saturday lead a moment's silence in memory of the Ahmedabad-London Air India plane-crash victims after making amendments to his annual Trooping the Colour birthday parade. Buckingham Palace said the 76-year-old monarch wanted the alterations 'as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy". It will also see members of the royal family wear black armbands as a mark of respect to the 241 passengers and crew who lost their lives in Thursday's London-bound plane crash in Ahmedabad. In an earlier statement, King Charles had said he and his wife, Queen Camilla, were 'desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad". 'Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones," the statement issued by Buckingham Palace noted in the wake of the tragedy. 'I would like to pay a particular tribute to the heroic efforts of the emergency services and all those providing help and support at this most heartbreaking and traumatic time," it quoted the king as saying. The minute's silence will be held after the king inspects the guard on Horse Guards Parade in London. It comes as the United Kingdom's flags were on Friday flown at half-mast on all royal residences and government buildings as a mark of respect. The Trooping the Colour birthday parade includes an inspection of troops and parade, culminating traditionally in a Red Arrows Royal Air Force (RAF) flypast over Buckingham Palace, watched over from the balcony by senior royals. King Charles III's birthday is on November 14, but traditionally the British monarch's public celebrations are held in mid-June for warmer weather. The ceremony dates back to the 17th century and sees regimental colours being displayed in front of the monarch, with the colours of the Coldstream Guards to be presented at this year's parade. PTI AK RC First Published: June 14, 2025, 05:15 IST
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Death of cabin crew members blurs Kuki-Meitei divide
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: In the heart of Manipur, profound sorrow has woven its way through the fabric of a community long divided by conflict. The tragic loss of the two cabin crew members — a Kuki and a Meitei — in Thursday's Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has momentarily eclipsed the strife between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities, uniting them in shared grief. Ever since the news of the crash broke on Thursday afternoon, family members began prayers for Lamnunthiem Singson, a Kuki Zo and Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailakpam, a Meitei girl, both part of the 10-member cabin crew on board the ill-fated Air India flight. A day later, civil society organisations and individuals have come forward, offering their support, while social media has become a canvas for heartfelt condolences and prayers for the young souls lost too soon. "People of Manipur are collectively heartbroken, leaving aside the narrow community lines. Our state has been divided for over two years on ethnic lines. Tragically, in their death, the angels of the sky brought together the two communities and left a grim reminder of how precious human lives are and the need for peaceful coexistence, as we have done for centuries," a spokesperson for the Delhi-based Meitei Heritage Society said. Nganthoi's relatives rushed to Ahmedabad on Friday for a DNA test after authorities asked her cousin N Khenjita to fly down. Family members of Kuki cabin crew Lamnunthiem Singson are also in Ahmedabad for similar tests. "In their passing, they have become angels of the sky, reminding us of the preciousness of human life and the urgent need for peace," he added. In a gesture of remembrance, the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) in Delhi announced a candlelight march to honour all victims of the crash. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the grieving families, particularly noting the plight of Singson, who was the sole breadwinner for her family displaced by ethnic violence. Her family, now residing in a rented house in Kangpokpi, faces an uncertain future without her. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. From politicians to everyday citizens, both within Manipur and beyond, expressions of disbelief and sorrow have flooded in. One 'X' user said, "In life, they came from communities divided by conflict, and in death, they remind us that, in the end, we all share the same fate." Manipur Congress leader Lamtinthang Haokip took to social media to honour the young women, offering his deepest condolences to their families. "May their souls rest in peace," he wrote, echoing the sentiments of a community united in mourning by the shared loss of two bright stars extinguished too soon. Former chief minister N Biren Singh tweeted late on Thursday, saying how two young girls from Manipur, a Kuki-Zo and Meitei had possibly lost their lives in the Ahmedabad air crash. "It is heartbreaking to share that two young cabin crew members from Manipur, Kongrabailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson, were among those who lost their lives in today's Air India crash in Ahmedabad," he wrote on 'X'. "Both were full of life, serving with dedication and pride. Their sudden passing is a huge loss for their families, friends, and for all of us back home," he wrote, adding: "May their souls rest in peace and may their loved ones find the strength to get through this unimaginable pain. " Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Dual-engine failure or human error? Pilots on edge over cause
Kolkata: Experienced pilots, awaiting investigation results of the Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, suggest two possible causes: an extremely rare simultaneous engine failure or incorrect cockpit response during an emergency, after eliminating other scenarios. "What is clear from the visuals, especially the airport CCTV footage, is that the aircraft took off normally before experiencing a loss of lift possibly due to loss of thrust on both engines. This can happen only if both engines stall," said an Air India captain, adding the sound of the plane from an amateur video suggested the whine of a Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a backup power source deployed automatically in the B-787 aircraft when it detects loss of both engines. The captain explained the B-787's sophisticated, multiple backup systems made engine stalling due to electrical or software issues unlikely. The auxiliary power unit can be activated. Fuel contamination is unlikely during take-off when fuel flow is maximum. Also planes have dual independent fuel systems and cross-feed capabilities. An IndiGo veteran dismissed incorrect flap and slat deployment or landing gear retraction issues as causes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play Chess on Your PC, Free Play Classic Chess Install Now Undo "Any of this would have caused a drag but not caused the aircraft to fall off the sky. In any case, there will be alerts if there is an incorrect setting for pilots to take corrective measures," the pilot said. Pilots dismissed bird strikes, noting no visible large bird flocks in CCTV footage. "The US Airways flight had run into a flock of Canada geese that got sucked into both engines and caused them to stall. The plane captained by Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger had touched down on the Hudson river. This did not happen in Ahmedabad as there was no fire visible or smoke trail from the engine visible in the video footage," a retired AI pilot said. Dismissing sabotage theories, commercial pilots proposed a scenario, where one engine's failure during take-off led to incorrect cockpit actions, resulting in thrust loss in both engines. "A pilot of an IndiGo flight, which was next to the Ahmedabad runway, reported a loud bang to the ATC around V1. The V1 is the take-off decision speed after which a pilot can no longer stop the aircraft but must continue with the take-off. A compressor stall could have taken out one engine. Or it could have been some other reason. After take-off, the plane climbed on the second engine. The pilot usually reports the engine loss to the ATC, turns around and lands. From the visuals, we know the plane encountered a sudden loss of lift during initial climb-out and then started to descend. This could have been due to the thrust lever of the live engine being pulled back that left the plane without any thrust," the pilot said, adding this mistake is not uncommon during simulator training. Another pilot supported this possibility, explaining engine failure procedures during take-off required pilots to take action to secure the failed engine from further damage when the aircraft reached 400 ft. If thrust is pulled back from the live engine, the plane will stall. Quick thrust restoration attempts might be manageable at higher altitudes but could be fatal at 600 ft-800 ft, with not enough time for the engine to spool up and regain thrust with the plane descending at 400 ft-500 ft descent per second. Pilots reminded that what actually transpired in the cockpit and the aircraft would be known only when the Cockpit Voice Data Recorded and the Digital Flight Data Recorder were analysed. A team from the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), US, will assist the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), along with the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and officials from the aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
