Filmmaker missing since Air India plane crash; kin fear he may be ground victim
The family of a filmmaker have submitted DNA samples after he went missing on Thursday and his mobile phone location was last traced to just 700 metres away from the horrific Air India plane crash.
The aircraft crashed into the campus of a medical college in Meghaninagar moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39pm on Thursday, killing 241 out of 242 on board as well as 29 on the ground.
Also Read: Teen who recorded viral Air India crash video 'very scared', records statement
Naroda-resident Mahesh Kalawadia, also known as Mahesh Jirawala, directs music albums and went to meet someone at Law Garden area that afternoon, his wife Hetal said.
"My husband called me at 1.14pm to tell me his meeting is over and that he is on his way home. However, when he did not return, I called up on his phone but it was switched off. After police was intimated, the last location of his mobile phone showed he was 700 metres away from the crash site," she said.
Also Read: Air India passenger Akash Vatsa, who flagged 'unusual things' before crash, now shares what he 'noticed'
"His phone got switched off around 1:40pm (a minute after the ill-fated flight took off). His scooter and mobile phone are missing. All this is unusual since he would never use that route (as per the last location) to come home. We have submitted DNA samples to check if he was one of those killed on the ground due to the crash," Hetal added.
Also Read: Passenger on seat 11A survived Air India crash, says trouble started 30 seconds into flight
Since many of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition or damaged otherwise, authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of victims of the horrific tragedy.
Three days after the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which has so far claimed 270 lives, hospital authorities confirmed on Sunday the identification of 47 victims through DNA matching. Authorities have handed over 24 bodies to the victims' families, they added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
A-I crash: DNA tests identify 80 victims, 33 bodies handed over to kin
The victims whose mortal remains were handed over were from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Kheda, Botad and other places Three days after the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which has so far claimed 270 lives, hospital authorities confirmed on Sunday the identification of 80 victims through DNA matching, including that of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Authorities have handed over 33 bodies to the victims' families, officials said on Sunday. Rupani was among the 242 passengers and crew members on board the London-bound Air India flight AI-171 that crashed on Thursday. The Gujarat government has announced a state mourning for Rupani on Monday. His funeral procession will be held in Rajkot in the evening. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college complex moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM on Thursday. So far 29 people are reported to have died in the disaster on the ground which includes five MBBS students. Only one person from the aircraft miraculously survived. "A total of 80 plane crash victims have been identified so far through DNA matching. Of these, the bodies of 33 victims have been handed over to their respective families," Additional Civil Superintendent Dr. Rajnish Patel told reporters. The victims whose mortal remains were handed over were from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Kheda, Botad and other places. Of the 51 people injured in the incident, 38 have been discharged, while 13 are still undergoing treatment, said Dr. Patel, a professor of surgery at the government-run B J Medical College. According to Dr. Dhaval Gameti, president of the BJ Medical College Junior Doctors' Association, around 270 bodies were brought to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital from the crash site. State Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey told reporters that families of all 230 passengers who perished on the flight have been contacted. "Members of only three deceased passengers are yet to give their DNA samples as they live abroad. They are expected to arrive tomorrow evening. Along with the mortal remains, we are also handing over death certificates to the kin so that they don't face any issues afterwards," said Pandey. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading a thorough probe into the causes of the crash. Various Central and state government agencies, including the state police, are assisting the AAIB team at the crash site in Meghaninagar. Sources said the first meeting of a high-level multi-disciplinary committee formed by the Centre will be held on Monday in New Delhi. The committee, headed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, is mandated to ascertain the "root cause" of the plane crash and assess any contributing factors, including mechanical failure, human error, and regulatory compliances. The committee has been mandated to submit its report within three months. As part of the ongoing efforts, 230 teams have been formed to coordinate with the victims' families. Ahmedabad fire brigade officials said three delegations visited the crash site on Sunday including some foreigners to assist investigators. Meanwhile, Air India on Sunday said it is working closely with other Tata group companies to provide every possible assistance to the families and loved ones of the plane crash victims. The airline in a statement also said that over 400 family members have reached Ahmedabad and are being assisted by its teams on the ground. To assess the situation, P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visited the crash site and Civil Hospital on Sunday. He was briefed on the sequence of events and interacted with the injured. State government officials apprised Mishra about the sequence of events leading to the disaster, which is the country's worst aviation accident in decades. After enquiring about the health of the injured, Mishra proceeded to the hospital's morgue area. "I am very pained by the enormity of the tragedy. Everybody is sad. It is our duty to share grief and express our feelings for the victims," Mishra told reporters. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani highlighted the crucial recovery of the black box, an essential component of the investigation. "The black box recovery was a very important part of the investigation AMC immediately acted and the black box was also recovered," Pani said, noting its location in the tail end of the aircraft, which was embedded in a building. City Police Commissioner G.S. Malik also visited the accident site on Sunday morning. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Air India Plane Crash: High-level panel to investigate Ahmedabad tragedy meets today
The high-level committee to investigate last week's Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad is likely to hold its first meeting today, June 16. The panel, headed by the Union home secretary, is expected to submit within three months its report detailing the causes of the accident that killed 270 people, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said during a press briefing on Saturday. The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Friday night. All passengers – except one – on board the Air India flight bound for London Gatwick Airport that crashed shortly after take-off from Gujarat's Ahmedabad airport on 12 June afternoon died. There were 242 passengers and crew on board the plane, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. One passenger, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, miraculously survived the crash. The Committee will not be a substitute for other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations, but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future. 'The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC Log and witness testimonies,' the Ministry said in the order. The panel consist of Home Secretary and secretary or joint secretary of the home affairs ministry, secretary of Civil aviation, representative from the Gujarat home department, representative from the state disaster response authority, police commissioner of Ahmedabad, the Director General (DG), Inspection and Safety of the Indian Air Force, DG of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, DG of the aviation regulator- the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, special director of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Director of Directorate of Forensic Science Services. Meanwhile, Dr PK Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, reviewed the emergency response following the crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad during a meeting with senior Gujarat government officials on Sunday. Mishra said the authorities have recovered the second black box of the plane from the crash site. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) has been recovered from the site, which will help in the investigation. Mishra discussed the crisis with Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik, and other senior officials. He commended the swift and coordinated efforts of both state and central agencies in managing it. "The state agencies, the Government of India agencies and others have responded very timely and effectively. I met some of the relatives of those who, unfortunately, died and were injured. So they are all satisfied with the work done by the state government and other public agencies, the Government of India," Mishra told news agency ANI. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed into the hostel complex shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Others who died in the accident were on ground. Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has made significant progress in identifying victims of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash. Additional Medical Superintendent Dr Rajnish Patel confirmed that 47 DNA samples have been matched, with 44 families contacted and 24 bodies handed over to relatives. The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC Log and witness testimonies. "47 DNA have matched so far. Out of those 47, families of 44 have been contacted. So far, mortal remains of 24 deceased have been handed over to their families..." The hospital's streamlined process, involving DNA verification at Kaushoti Bhavan in D Block, postmortem procedures, and family support, has ensured accuracy and dignity in handling the crisis," Dr Patel told news agency ANI.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Air India Plane Crash: UK law firm probes liability, warns families on cremation risks
A UK law firm is looking into the Air India plane crash that killed 241 people on board the flight, including 53 British nationals, and several others on the ground. Keystone Law's investigation is independent of the official probe by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, supported by a four-member team from UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch. The firm's focus is on potential liability and providing legal assistance to victims' families, particularly those in the UK. Aviation Litigators At Work The London-bound airliner that crashed on Thursday, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner powered by two General Electric engines, is now the subject of several technical and forensic investigations. Ashish K Singh, English barrister and managing partner of law firm Capstone Legal, emphasised that Keystone has nothing to do with Air Accidents Investigation Branch. 'The focus of the law firm's investigation is generally to establish the reason for the death of British nationals in the crash, which includes potential exposure of Boeing and Air India to claims in UK courts under the tort law,' he said. The tort law, which deals with wrongs that cause harm to individuals, holds the wrongdoers accountable and allows for seeking compensation for harms from accidents to intentional acts. Aviation specialists James Healy-Pratt and Owen Hanna are leading the Keystone team and Chicago-based Wisner Law Firm is assisting them. The Chicago law firm that specialises in aviation-related litigation also advised clients in the 2020 Air India Express crash, where an aircraft arriving from Dubai overshot the runway at Calicut airport in Kerala and plunged into a 30-foot gorge, killing 21 people. Healy-Pratt said there is an urgent need to recover and identify the deceased so their remains can be returned to their families. A senior coroner will investigate those in the UK, followed by formal inquests, he said in a statement. Healy-Pratt also issued a cautionary note for families of the deceased British nationals considering cremation in India. 'Cremated remains do not constitute a body under UK coronial law, which means they cannot trigger an inquest in the UK. We urge families to seek legal advice before proceeding with any cremation arrangements abroad,' he said. The accident will trigger several types of insurance and reinsurance claims in India and abroad, said Consortia Legal cofounding partner Satyendra Shrivastava. 'With British nationals on board, the kin of the British passengers may invoke claims under their life and travel policies as per UK laws,' said Shrivastava. 'Apart from the aircraft hull insurance, which typically provides compensation for total loss of the aircraft, the airline will also have liability towards passengers for death claims and towards third parties for death, injury and loss of property. As more facts emerge according to official investigations, we may see several claims against the airline and other parties,' he added. Pioneer Legal partner Pritha Jha said law firms typically get involved to provide advice on the repatriation of mortal remains to the victim's country of origin. 'This is usually because families need to decide whether an inquest into the cause of death should be made. This is not possible if remains are repatriated post-cremation,' added Jha. Tata Sons, which owns Air India, has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for each victim of the crash, including passengers, crew and those on the ground. Additionally, the group will cover full medical treatment for all injured individuals. Air India has separately committed an interim relief of Rs 25 lakh per deceased and the lone survivor among the 242 on board the plane.
