‘Didn't know what to do': Students were eating lunch when plane struck dining hall
The medical students in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad were eating lunch on Thursday when an Air India passenger plane crashed into their dining hall.
Intern Mohit Chavda said he was halfway through his meal of lentils, cabbage and bread when the disaster struck.
'We only heard a blast,' he said. 'Then we just saw the dust and smoke coming inside with force.'
In the aftermath of India's worst aviation disaster in decades, the ripped-off tail of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner could be seen jutting out of the building as firefighters quelled the flames. In the dining hall, lunch plates were left half-finished.
While police officials have put the death toll from the crash at 269 people, they have cautioned that a final figure will take time to ascertain. Many of the bodies are charred and are being identified and counted through DNA testing.
All but one of the 242 passengers and crew aboard the jet, which was headed to London, are confirmed dead, the airline said. Rescue personnel at the site, as well as doctors and security officials, suggested that at least three dozen other people had been killed on the ground.
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ABC News
27 minutes ago
- ABC News
Funerals held as Air India crash victim remains handed over to relatives in Ahmedabad
Mourners in India have covered white coffins with flowers as funerals were held for some of the at least 279 people killed in one of the world's worst plane crashes in decades. Health officials have begun handing over the first passenger bodies identified through DNA testing, delivering them to grieving relatives in the western city of Ahmedabad, but the wait went on for most families. "They said it would take 48 hours. But it's been four days and we haven't received any response," said Rinal Christian, 23, whose elder brother was a passenger on the jetliner. There was one survivor out of 242 passengers and crew on board the London-bound Air India jet when it crashed on Thursday into a residential area of Ahmedabad, killing at least 38 people on the ground as well. "My brother was the sole breadwinner of the family," Mr Christian said. "So what happens next?" At a crematorium in the city, about 20 to 30 mourners chanted prayers in a funeral ceremony for Megha Mehta, a passenger who had been working in London. As of Sunday evening (India time), 47 crash victims had been identified, according to Rajnish Patel, a doctor at Ahmedabad's civil hospital. "This is a meticulous and slow process, so it has to be done meticulously only," Dr Patel said. One victim's relative who did not want to be named said they had been instructed not to open the coffin when they receive it. Witnesses reported seeing badly burnt bodies and scattered remains. Workers went on clearing debris from the site on Sunday, while police inspected the area. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner erupted into a fireball when it went down moments after take-off, smashing into buildings used by medical staff. The majority of those injured on the ground have been discharged, Dr Patel said, with one or two remaining in critical care. Indian authorities have yet to identify the cause of the disaster and have ordered inspections of Air India's Dreamliners. Investigators announced they had recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, from a rooftop near the crash site. The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. India's Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he hoped decoding the first black box, the flight data recorder, would "give an in-depth insight" into the circumstances of the crash. Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government has set up a high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement on Saturday. Authorities have also begun inspecting Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Saturday in New Delhi at his first news briefing since Thursday's crash. Eight of the 34 Dreamliners in India have already undergone inspection, Mr Kinjarapu said, adding that the remaining aircraft will be examined with "immediate urgency". The plane that crashed was 12 years old. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently about 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts. Imtiyaz Ali, who was still waiting for a DNA match to find his brother, said the airline should have supported families faster. "I'm disappointed in them. It is their duty," said Mr Ali, who was contacted by the airline on Saturday. "Next step is to find out the reason for this accident. We need to know." One person escaped alive from the wreckage, British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, whose brother was also on the flight. Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members. Among the passengers was a father of two young girls, Arjun Patoliya, who had travelled to India to scatter his wife's ashes following her death weeks earlier. "I really hope that those girls will be looked after by all of us," said Anjana Patel, the mayor of London's Harrow borough where some of the victims lived. "We don't have any words to describe how the families and friends must be feeling," she added. While communities were in mourning, one woman recounted how she survived by arriving late at the airport. "The airline staff had already closed the check-in," said 28-year-old Bhoomi Chauhan. "At that moment, I kept thinking that if only we had left a little earlier, we wouldn't have missed our flight," she told the Press Trust of India news agency. AFP/AP
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Air India crash victims identified, US experts on site
US transport officials have surveyed the site of the Air India plane crash that killed at least 271 people as families wait for DNA profiling results to identify charred bodies. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials joined US Federal Aviation Administration officials in Ahmedabad, in western India's Gujarat state, to survey the crash site, a source with direct knowledge said. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board, bound for Gatwick Airport south of London, began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. About 30 people died on the ground. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash, including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday he was in the process of deploying a team from the aviation administration and the safety board to India. Boeing and GE, whose engines were used in the plane, were also sending teams. "We'll take action should any recommendations come forward from the NTSB's investigation," Duffy said. The aviation administration and the safety board did not immediately respond to Reuters' queries outside regular business hours. The aviation administration has said India will lead the investigation, but the safety board is the official US representative for assisting, while the administration provides technical support. Boeing officials will also look at various parameters, including the angle of landing. About 10 officials were present at the site on Sunday, including those from the safety board, the source said. India's aviation regulator has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected. The crash brings a fresh challenge for both Air India, which has for years been trying to revamp its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises. In Ahmedabad, doctors were struggling to identify bodies that were charred in the incident, resorting to dental samples and DNA profiling. DNA samples of 32 victims from the crash have been successfully matched, Rajnish Patel, additional superintendent at the city's main hospital, said on Sunday. "The bodies for which DNA samples have been matched are being handed over to the families with due respect," he said. US transport officials have surveyed the site of the Air India plane crash that killed at least 271 people as families wait for DNA profiling results to identify charred bodies. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials joined US Federal Aviation Administration officials in Ahmedabad, in western India's Gujarat state, to survey the crash site, a source with direct knowledge said. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board, bound for Gatwick Airport south of London, began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. About 30 people died on the ground. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash, including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday he was in the process of deploying a team from the aviation administration and the safety board to India. Boeing and GE, whose engines were used in the plane, were also sending teams. "We'll take action should any recommendations come forward from the NTSB's investigation," Duffy said. The aviation administration and the safety board did not immediately respond to Reuters' queries outside regular business hours. The aviation administration has said India will lead the investigation, but the safety board is the official US representative for assisting, while the administration provides technical support. Boeing officials will also look at various parameters, including the angle of landing. About 10 officials were present at the site on Sunday, including those from the safety board, the source said. India's aviation regulator has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected. The crash brings a fresh challenge for both Air India, which has for years been trying to revamp its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises. In Ahmedabad, doctors were struggling to identify bodies that were charred in the incident, resorting to dental samples and DNA profiling. DNA samples of 32 victims from the crash have been successfully matched, Rajnish Patel, additional superintendent at the city's main hospital, said on Sunday. "The bodies for which DNA samples have been matched are being handed over to the families with due respect," he said. US transport officials have surveyed the site of the Air India plane crash that killed at least 271 people as families wait for DNA profiling results to identify charred bodies. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials joined US Federal Aviation Administration officials in Ahmedabad, in western India's Gujarat state, to survey the crash site, a source with direct knowledge said. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board, bound for Gatwick Airport south of London, began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. About 30 people died on the ground. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash, including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday he was in the process of deploying a team from the aviation administration and the safety board to India. Boeing and GE, whose engines were used in the plane, were also sending teams. "We'll take action should any recommendations come forward from the NTSB's investigation," Duffy said. The aviation administration and the safety board did not immediately respond to Reuters' queries outside regular business hours. The aviation administration has said India will lead the investigation, but the safety board is the official US representative for assisting, while the administration provides technical support. Boeing officials will also look at various parameters, including the angle of landing. About 10 officials were present at the site on Sunday, including those from the safety board, the source said. India's aviation regulator has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected. The crash brings a fresh challenge for both Air India, which has for years been trying to revamp its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises. In Ahmedabad, doctors were struggling to identify bodies that were charred in the incident, resorting to dental samples and DNA profiling. DNA samples of 32 victims from the crash have been successfully matched, Rajnish Patel, additional superintendent at the city's main hospital, said on Sunday. "The bodies for which DNA samples have been matched are being handed over to the families with due respect," he said. US transport officials have surveyed the site of the Air India plane crash that killed at least 271 people as families wait for DNA profiling results to identify charred bodies. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials joined US Federal Aviation Administration officials in Ahmedabad, in western India's Gujarat state, to survey the crash site, a source with direct knowledge said. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board, bound for Gatwick Airport south of London, began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. About 30 people died on the ground. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash, including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday he was in the process of deploying a team from the aviation administration and the safety board to India. Boeing and GE, whose engines were used in the plane, were also sending teams. "We'll take action should any recommendations come forward from the NTSB's investigation," Duffy said. The aviation administration and the safety board did not immediately respond to Reuters' queries outside regular business hours. The aviation administration has said India will lead the investigation, but the safety board is the official US representative for assisting, while the administration provides technical support. Boeing officials will also look at various parameters, including the angle of landing. About 10 officials were present at the site on Sunday, including those from the safety board, the source said. India's aviation regulator has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected. The crash brings a fresh challenge for both Air India, which has for years been trying to revamp its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises. In Ahmedabad, doctors were struggling to identify bodies that were charred in the incident, resorting to dental samples and DNA profiling. DNA samples of 32 victims from the crash have been successfully matched, Rajnish Patel, additional superintendent at the city's main hospital, said on Sunday. "The bodies for which DNA samples have been matched are being handed over to the families with due respect," he said.
Perth Now
20 hours ago
- Perth Now
Official death toll in Indian plane crash climbs as search teams find more bodies
Search and recovery teams continued scouring the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters for a third day after the Air India flight fell from the sky and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state, officials said Saturday. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Air India black box recovered after deadly crash. Recovery teams working until late Friday found at least 25 more bodies in the debris, officials said. Dr Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad told The Associated Press the facility had received 270 bodies, adding that the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds. 'He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon,' Gameti said Saturday. Hundreds of relatives of the crash victims have provided DNA samples at the hospital. Most bodies were charred or mutilated, making them unrecognisable. Some relatives expressed frustration Saturday that the process was taking too long. Authorities say it normally takes up to 72 hours to complete DNA matching and they are expediting the process. 'Where are my children? Did you recover them?' asked Rafiq Abdullah, whose nephew, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren were on the flight. 'I will have to ask questions. Government is not answering these questions.' Another relative persistently asked hospital staff when his relative's body would be handed over to the family for last rites. 'Give us the body,' the relative insisted. Left: Air India plane crash wreckage in Ahmedabad. Right: Kalpesh Bhai, whose 14-year-old brother was killed in the disaster, wails outside the autopsy room of a hospital. Credit: Rafiq Maqbool / AP Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government says it has formed a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future and 'will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement. Authorities have begun inspecting Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, Indian Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Saturday in New Delhi at his first news briefing since Thursday's crash. Eight of the 34 Dreamliner aircraft in India have already undergone inspection, Kinjarapu said, adding that the remaining aircraft will be examined with 'immediate urgency'. The government is eagerly awaiting results of the crash investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and all necessary steps will be taken without hesitation, Kinjarapu said. Investigators on Friday recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, which was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and likely will lead to clues about the cause of the accident. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had started working with 'full force' to extract the data. The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for both the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, said investigators should be able to answer some important questions about what caused the crash as soon as next week as long as the flight data recorder is in good shape. Investigators likely are looking at whether wing flaps were set correctly, the engine lost power, alarms were going off inside the cockpit and if the plane's crew correctly logged information about the hot temperature outside and the weight of the fuel and passengers, Guzzetti said. Mistakes in the data could result in the wing flaps being set incorrectly, he said. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts.
