For recovery and investigation of Air India crash, authorities contend with the risk of struck sites collapsing.
Recovering victims, searching for any trapped survivors and seeking clues into the cause of the crash will all depend on how quickly crews can stabilize the buildings that were struck by the plane shortly after takeoff.
'This is a very long process,' said Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator and aviation expert at Ohio State University. He said that the recovery effort might take up to a month.
Emergency medical workers will need to balance speed with care in dislodging large parts of the plane from buildings, including the Boeing Dreamliner's tail, which appeared to be jammed into a building.
While the immediate priority will likely be looking for potential survivors who may have been in the buildings when the plane crashed into them, clearing the debris may cause those buildings to buckle or pancake.
That means the authorities may need to bring in cranes to hoist large pieces of debris out the damaged buildings near the B.J. Medical College, where five students in a dining hall were killed. Then, emergency responders may need to build temporary cribbing to support weakened parts of the building as they look for any survivors, or more bodies.
Stabilizing the building will have to be done before investigators can sift the debris for clues about why the flight went down shortly after takeoff, said Mike Boyd, an aviation expert at Boyd Group International. That includes unearthing the plane's so-called black box, which contains the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Reviewing that material may take a few days, Mr. Boyd said.
The location of the disaster poses particular complications.
'Plane crashes pose new hazards when they occur in areas as densely packed and urban as Ahmedabad,' Mr. Boyd said. Responders have to contend with more people hurt, more buildings affected and more infrastructure damaged. There is also the risk of ruptured has gas lines.
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The Hill
2 days ago
- The Hill
Torrential rains trigger flash floods in Kashmir, killing at least 44 and leaving dozens missing
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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Torrential rains trigger flash floods in Kashmir, killing at least 44 and leaving dozens missing
SRINAGAR, India — Flash floods caused by torrential rains in a remote village in India-controlled Kashmir have left at least 44 people dead and dozens missing, authorities said Thursday, as rescue teams scouring the devastated Himalayan village brought at least 200 people to safety. Following a cloudburst in the region's Chositi village, which triggered floods and landslides, disaster management official Mohammed Irshad estimated that at least 50 people were still missing, with many believed to have been washed away. India's deputy minister for science and technology, Jitendra Singh, warned that the disaster 'could result in substantial' loss of life. At least 50 of the rescued people, many of whom were brought from a stream under mud and debris, were seriously injured and were being treated in local hospitals, said Susheel Kumar Sharma, a local official. Chositi is a remote Himalayan village in Kashmir's Kishtwar district and is the last village accessible to motor vehicles on the route of an ongoing annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainous shrine at an altitude of 9,500 feet and about an 5-mile trek from the village. Multiple pilgrims were also feared to be affected by the disaster. Officials said that the pilgrimage had been suspended and more rescue teams were on the way to the area to strengthen rescue and relief operations. The pilgrimage began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on Sept. 5. The first responders to the disaster were villagers and local officials who were later joined by police and disaster management officials, as well as personnel from India's military and paramilitary forces, Sharma said. Abdul Majeed Bichoo, a local resident and a social activist from a neighboring village, said that he witnessed the bodies of eight people being pulled out from under the mud. Three horses, which were also completely buried alongside them under debris, were 'miraculously recovered alive,' he said. The 75-year-old Bichoo said Chositi village had become a 'sight of complete devastation from all sides' following the disaster. 'It was heartbreaking and an unbearable sight. I have not seen this kind of destruction of life and property in my life,' he said. The devastating floods swept away the main community kitchen set up for the pilgrims as well as dozens of vehicles and motorbikes, officials said. They added that more than 200 pilgrims were in the kitchen when the tragedy struck. The flash floods also damaged and washed away many homes, clustered together in the foothills. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed extensive damage caused in the village with multiple vehicles and homes damaged. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 'the situation is being monitored closely' and offered his prayers to 'all those affected by the cloudburst and flooding.' 'Rescue and relief operations are underway. Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need,' he said in a social media post. Sudden, intense downpours over small areas known as cloudbursts are increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions, which are prone to flash floods and landslides. Cloudbursts have the potential to wreak havoc by causing intense flooding and landslides, impacting thousands of people in the mountainous regions. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years partly because of climate change, while damage from the storms also has increased because of unplanned development in mountain regions. Kishtwar is home to multiple hydroelectric power projects, which experts have long warned pose a threat to the region's fragile ecosystem. Hussain writes for the Associated Press.
Associated Press
07-08-2025
- Associated Press
Dada J.P. Vaswani's Global Forgiveness Day 2025 Celebrations Unite Cities Across the World in a Moment of Calm
Sadhu Vaswani Center Of World Peace team, committee members, Dada J.P. Vaswani's followers from New York and New Jersey gather under the Times Square billboard lit in his honour. From New York to Pune, London to Lucknow—millions paused at 2 PM on August 2 for a 2-minute Moment of Calm. Global Forgiveness Day 2025, inspired by Dada J.P. Vaswani and led by the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, united five continents in the power of forgiveness. The worldwide campaign culminated on Dada's 107th birth anniversary, reminding all to forgive, release, and rise free. Global Forgiveness Day Unites the World in a Moment of Calm and Collective Healing From New York to Pune, London to Lucknow, Singapore to Mumbai—millions across five continents paused at 2:00 p.m. local time on August 2 to observe a powerful Moment of Calm in honor of Global Forgiveness Day 2025. Participants embraced two minutes of silence to forgive and be forgiven, joining together across time zones in the shared intention to let go of anger, resentment, and emotional burdens. This global initiative was inspired by revered Indian spiritual teacher Dada J.P. Vaswani, whose life's work emphasized forgiveness as the foundation of inner peace and global harmony. His birthday, August 2, is now observed internationally as Global Forgiveness Day. Organized by the Sadhu Vaswani Mission and the Sadhu Vaswani Center for World Peace (USA), this year's multi-week campaign included immersive public events, including: At the center of this initiative was the Moment of Calm, a call for individuals around the globe to pause at 2:00 p.m. and practice Dada's 5-minute guided forgiveness meditation—an invitation to unburden the heart and choose to forgive, choose peace. A Growing Global Tradition, first proposed by Dada J.P. Vaswani, Global Forgiveness Day is now officially recognized by dozens of cities worldwide—including New York, Los Angeles, Pune, and Toronto—and is growing each year through creative, culturally inclusive activations. This year's campaign was driven by the mantra: 'Forgive. Release. Rise Free.', echoed through social media, live stranger interactions, schools, houses of worship, and public space reinforcing the message that forgiveness is not just a virtue but a path to emotional and collective freedom. It offered a powerful truth: forgiveness isn't for the other person—it's medicine for your own soul. What's Next? The Sadhu Vaswani Center for World Peace is building a first-of-its-kind sanctuary in New Jersey—featuring a Gurukul, Peace Park, and the world's first samadhi memorial in the West for both Dada J.P. Vaswani and Sadhu T.L. Vaswani. 'If you want peace in the world, start with peace in your heart,' said Didi Krishna Kumari, spiritual head of the global Sadhu Vaswani Mission, who led many of the campaign events personally. About Dada J.P. Vaswani Dada J.P. Vaswani (1918–2018) was an internationally respected spiritual leader, peace advocate, author of over 150 books, and a humanitarian. His teachings on forgiveness, vegetarianism, compassion, and inner transformation have been adopted by seekers, educators, and interfaith leaders around the world. His message continues to inspire millions to live with love, humility, and purpose. About the Sadhu Vaswani Mission and Center for World Peace Founded in Pune, India, the Sadhu Vaswani Mission is a global humanitarian and spiritual movement dedicated to service, education, and peace. Its U.S. affiliate, the Sadhu Vaswani Center for World Peace in New Jersey, is building the first dual memorial (samadhi shrine) in the West and serves as a hub for spiritual learning, value-based education, meditation, and community service. Media Contact Company Name: Sadhu Vaswani Center Email: Send Email City: New York State: New York Country: United States Website: Press Release Distributed by To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Dada J.P. Vaswani's Global Forgiveness Day 2025 Celebrations Unite Cities Across the World in a Moment of Calm
