Ground report: Plane horror unfolds, no bodies, no closure, only haunting memories
In this episode of To The Point, watch India Today's Preeti Choudhry's ground report from the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad and all the latest updates about the crash. The black box of the crashed Air India flight AI171 has been recovered from the rooftop of the crash site in Ahmedabad. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inspection of the AI Boeing fleet and implemented new maintenance protocols. Out of 242 passengers, 241 have been confirmed dead, with one survivor. Over 200 DNA samples have been collected for victim identification. The crash site spans about 600 meters, with the BJ Medical College hostel mess being the area of maximum impact.
At the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, over 200 families have provided DNA samples to identify victims of the plane crash. Bodies are charred beyond recognition, with some reduced to body parts. The DNA sampling process is expected to take 72 hours. Families have come from across India and abroad, including the UK, to seek closure. The scene is one of grief and anger as loved ones struggle to cope with the sudden loss of life.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Ahmedabad family's desperate search for music director whose last known location was 700 metres from Air India plane crash site
Apart from the several distraught families grieving the loss of their loved ones, who died in the Air India plane crash, there is one that is anxiously looking for answers. The family of Mahesh Kalawadia (34), who directs music albums and was neither in the flight nor in the hostel where it crashed, has been looking for him in hospitals, morgues and police stations. So far, they haven't been able to trace him or the Activa scooter on which he was headed home. The family is worried as Mahesh's last location before his phone switched off is nearly 700 metres from the BJ Medical College hostel that the Boeing Dreamliner crashed into. His younger brother, Kartik (32), told The Indian Express, 'He spoke to his wife Hetal around 1:10 pm on Thursday and told her he just got done with a meeting near Law Garden. They shared a few jokes, and he said he was on his way to their Naroda residence.' Kartik said that when Mahesh did not return home for an hour, Hetal dialled his number, which was switched off. 'She kept trying but could not get through,' he said. When she heard about the plane crash, she called Kartik, who then started looking for his brother. 'While we were anxious, I felt there was nothing to worry about as the Meghani Nagar hostel where the incident took place would ideally not be a spot he would cross on the usual route,' Kartik said. When he went to the police station, most officials were occupied with the crash. 'Over the next 24 hours, through some helpful cops, we found that the last location before my brother's phone was switched off was in Meghani Nagar, some 700 metres from the spot. We were told that mobile data does not show pinpoint location, so he may be closer to the accident spot,' he said. Scared and partly confused why he would take that route, Kartik and their relatives went to all the hospitals in the area. 'We were told all bodies were at the Civil hospital. There too, we went through the list of the deceased, the injured and the unclaimed persons, but my brother was nowhere to be found. For the past two nights, we have been going from hospital to police station to the accident site, but there has been no update,' he said. He has also been trying to trace his bike, which would provide some clues, but to no avail. 'We have given a complaint at the local Naroda police station, but they have not been able to do much, and we are just hoping to get some news of his safety,' he said. Apart from Kalawadia, those missing since the crash include Sarlaben Thakor, the cook at the hostel mess, and her two-year-old granddaughter.
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Air India crash: DGCA directs full staff presence on June 14 amid probe
Amid the ongoing probe following the horrific Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that its headquarters will remain open on Saturday (June 14), and will follow normal working hours. According to an office order dated June 13, the move aims to ensure continued functioning of the DGCA (Hqrs). 'It has been decided that DGCA (Hqrs) shall remain open on 14.06.2025 (Saturday) and observe normal working hours,' it states. The DGCA headquarters are open from Monday to Friday. The office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The order further instructs all officers and officials of the DGCA to strictly adhere to the directive. 'All the Officers/Officials of Directorate General of Civil Aviation are accordingly directed to ensure strict compliance to the said directions,' it adds. The wide-body jet was carrying a total of 242 passengers and crew, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven from Portugal, and one Canadian. A distress call was made at 1.39 pm local time, and the plane managed to reach only about 625 ft in altitude before vanishing from radar. Just moments after the pilot transmitted 'MAYDAY, MAYDAY…' to air traffic control, the aircraft burst into flames and crashed outside the airport boundary. Only one passenger, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, was the only survivor of the crash. Air India crash: Black box recovered The Ministry of Civil Aviation also clarified that a video recorder found earlier at the site 'was not the DFDR', countering claims on social media that the crucial data unit had already been located. Air India flight crash: High-level inquiry panel formed To determine what caused the June 12 crash and recommend safeguards, the government has set up a multi-disciplinary committee headed by the Union home secretary. According to the ministry, the panel 'will focus on formulating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future, and will publish its report in three months,' while other statutory investigations by the AAIB and allied agencies continue in parallel. UK offers help, envoy meets PM Modi British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron travelled to Ahmedabad on Friday, where she toured the crash scene, visited the injured at the civil hospital and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking to news agency PTI, Cameron said the United Kingdom and India are 'working together' to establish facts surrounding the accident. 'We have offered consular support to the sole survivor,' she said. 'I have been here since yesterday, visiting the crash site, visiting the hospital, meeting Prime Minister Modi, meeting the first responders… working tirelessly for the last 24 hours.' Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Modi spent about 20 minutes at the crash location before meeting those undergoing treatment at Ahmedabad's civil hospital, where he reviewed medical care and met families of the victims.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Thought it was an earthquake': Eyewitnesses recount horrific Ahmedabad plane crash; say sky was filled with black smoke
NEW DELHI: Mohan Bahadur Kshatriya, an eyewitness to the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, recounted scenes of devastation and chaos on Saturday as he joined rescue efforts just minutes after the aircraft went down on Thursday. Living just 500 meters from the crash site, Kshatriya said he initially mistook the deafening explosion for an earthquake. 'I heard a loud bang and thought it was a storm or an earthquake,' he said. 'When I stepped out, there was smoke and fire everywhere. People were shouting that a plane had crashed. We ran toward the mess where students were screaming for help.' He worked alongside Army personnel to rescue five severely injured students from the wreckage. He added, 'They were in extremely serious condition. Then we searched further and found a body in terrible shape, trapped under the debris,' he added. Another eyewitness, Rekha Kshatriya, described the moment the aircraft hit as unlike anything they had ever experienced before, even in a neighborhood accustomed to loud noise. 'I have been staying here for the last 13-14 years, that day, around 1:30 p.m., we heard a loud noise. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Although we are accustomed to hearing loud noises, this time the noise felt like our eardrums would burst. It seemed like an earthquake. We had just sat down to have lunch, and the furniture in our house had started shaking violently. For a second, it felt like a bomb blast happened. Then, when we went outside, we saw that a plane had crashed. We saw broken pieces of aircraft everywhere. It was difficult to understand whether it was a plane crash, a terrorist attack, or something else. The whole sky was filled with black smoke. High flames were rising everywhere." As questions arises about how the tragedy occurred, the civil aviation ministry has constituted a high-level multi-disciplinary committee to investigate the causes of the crash. "A High Level Multi-disciplinary Committee is constituted for examining the causes leading to the crash of the Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London) on June 12, 2025. 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 ministry said in an official statement. It clarified that the new panel will not replace other formal inquiries but will focus on formulating improved protocols to prevent similar disasters in the future. The aircraft involved, Air India AI-171, was en route from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed on June 12. 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 .
