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Indian Express
an hour ago
- General
- Indian Express
Biggest challenge is identifying bodies and handing them respectfully to their families: Mohol
In the aftermath of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 240 lives, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol spoke to The Indian Express about the steps the government is taking to facilitate the process of identifying bodies. In a conversation with Sunanda Mehta, the Lok Sabha MP from Pune revealed that so far, 220 DNA tests have been completed and eight bodies have been identified and handed over to the families What is the current status of the rescue and recovery operations? Rescue efforts are now in the final phase. Over 600 fire personnel, 100 ambulances, 250 army personnel, teams of the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force along with the Rapid Action Force police personnel and a dedicated green corridor were established for rescue operations. Expert medical teams and DNA specialists are working round the clock treatment of patients and identification of the bodies. Round-the-clock control rooms at the Civil Hospital and SEOC remain active. Shelter, food, transport, and communication support have been arranged for victims' families. While immediate rescue is almost complete, treatment and identification of bodies are still ongoing with full coordination between central and state agencies What have been the biggest challenges in the rescue operation? The biggest challenge at the moment is identifying the bodies and ensuring they are respectfully handed over to their families and loved ones. How many bodies have been identified and DNA tests done? Authorities have so far completed DNA sampling for at least 220 victims. Despite the scale of the tragedy, eight bodies have been identified and handed over to their families. How is the Government ensuring dignified repatriation of the bodies? Post mortem examinations are underway, alongside DNA profiling, to help in identifying the bodies. As soon as identification is confirmed, bodies will be respectfully placed in coffins and made available to families at the post mortem room of B J Medical College in Pune. Air India will facilitate the transportation of the remains through its cargo services. What is the status of those injured? Approximately, 50 victims were admitted to the Civil Hospital, of whom 30 have been discharged. Some victims are in a critical condition. Any indications as yet on what could have been the cause of the crash? The black box recovery is a breakthrough. An enquiry into the crash has been initiated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in line with international protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The exact cause of the crash will be determined upon completion of the enquiry. Yes, the Black Box (Digital Flight Data Recorder – DFDR) was recovered by the AAIB from the accident site yesterday. This will play a crucial role in the enquiry. When can a preliminary report be expected? How will transparency be ensured? The preliminary report will be published as per provisions of Annex 13 of ICAO and Aircraft Rules (Investigation of Accident and accidents), 2017. The preliminary report and the final report would be made public after the same is accepted by the authorities. A high-level committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, to examine the causes leading to the crash. The other members of this committee are Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; Additional Secretary / Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; representative from the home department, Gujarat; representative from the State Disaster Response Authority, Gujarat; Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, Director General (Inspection and Safety) of the Indian Air Force; Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security; Director General of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA); Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau; Director of Directorate of Forensic Science Services. Any other members, as deemed fit by the committee, including aviation experts, accident investigators, and legal advisors, may also be included. The committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines in place, identify gaps, and suggest more effective measures to prevent such accidents and propose appropriate strategies for the future. The committee is expected to submit its report within three months. What are the next steps ahead for the government? Downloading of the FDR data and joint investigation with the state of manufacture and state of design, analysis of the aircraft and crew documents with the aim of finding the root cause of the accident so as to prevent future recurrence.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
What will experts search for as UK investigators probe Air India crash disaster?
British aviation experts are in Ahmedabad to assist with investigations after Air India Flight 171 crashed into a medical school on Thursday, exploding into a fireball and killing at least 270 As search and recovery teams continue to scour the site of the horrific plane crash for a third day after the Air India Flight 171 fell from the sky killing at least 270 people on Thursday, British air accident experts are joining them in India to try and work out just what caused the crash. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1:39pm local time and gave a Mayday call almost immediately, signalling an emergency. There was no response from the aircraft and footage shows the plane was only in the air for around 30 seconds before it appeared to run into trouble, according to the BBC. T READ MORE: Air India plane crash UPDATES: 270 bodies recovered as probe into tragedy continues What will investigators look at in order to gather evidence? There have been a number of theories as to what happened that day but investigators will take a look at the evidence to determine the exact cause. This will involve looking at radar, CCTV, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) – to understand what factors were involved in the accident. Black boxes hold the key to aircraft crash investigations and are terms used to describe the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Digital Flight Data Recorder. In April 2025, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau set up a flight recorders laboratory at its premises for carrying out more effective probes into accidents and the crash is being probed by the AAIB. Investigators will want to know if the crash was a one-off or part of a wider problem with Dereamliner. If they find evidence of a problem that could jeopardise the safety of other aircraft they will announce their initial conclusions as soon as possible, according to The Independent. In the meantime, Air India's Boeing 787 fleet could be grounded temporarily. As always in the early stages of an investigation, aviation safety experts will consider a wide spectrum of possible factors that could have contributed to the crash. Bird strikes are a threat to flights Twin-engine aircraft like the Boeing 787 are engineered to be able to take off on a single engine, even if a bird strikes the engine. Investigators will be looking into the possibility of whether both engines could have been put out of action as the Air India aircraft climbed? It's happened before - in the 'Miracle on the Hudson' plane crash in 2009, both engines of a US Air aircraft lost power shortly after take off from New York's La Guardia airport. On that occasion, the plane had gained more altitude and was able to crash-land on water, so all passengers survived. Could a mechanical issue been the cause? As the investigators sift through the wreckage, they will be looking to see if there was some kind of failure, leaving the pilots helpless to control their aircraft in the crucial seconds after take off. Philip Baum, visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University told The Independent it 'seems likely' the accident was caused by system or multiple systems failures. Was human error a factor in the crash? Taking off with a heavy load of fuel, passengers and cargo in hot weather is challenging and investigators will be looking into whether the pilots could have done something to jeopardise the safety of the aircraft. A captain for a leading US carrier said some focus should be given to the flap settings – the moveable panels on an aircraft's wings – used for take-off for 'a heavy airplane on a hot day, and resulting poor performance which ultimately may have led to a stall'. Malicious acts - but 'unlikely anything sinister at play' Tragically, over the years individuals and groups have repeatedly downed aircraft for reasons ranging from grudges to terrorism. But Professor Baum said it was 'unlikely there was anything more sinister at play' and it could have just been an accident. One thing's for sure - it's the worst air disaster in a decade. On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard. Despite an intense search in the southern Indian Ocean, the Boeing 777-200 was never found. Earlier this year, a new search for the plane was launched more than a decade after the plane went missing, Malaysian authorities said. Investigators concluded it ran out of fuel. And in 2001, an American Airlines Airbus A300 crashed in the New York City borough of Queens shortly after taking off, killing all 260 on board and five people on the ground. Flight 587 was bound for Saint-Domingue, in the Dominican Republic, departing from New York's John F. Kennedy airport. Investigators concluded the plane suffered from turbulence which was within tolerance levels, but the first officer's aggressive reactions to it led to the structural failure.
News18
10 hours ago
- General
- News18
Blanket And Bravery: How This Medical Student Escaped The Flames Of The Air India Crash
Last Updated: Air India plane crash: Trapped in a burning hostel, Aishwarya Toshniwal wrapped herself in a blanket and fled the smoke For 30-year-old Aishwarya Toshniwal, a second-year oncopathology student at Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, Thursday afternoon turned into a surreal brush with death when an Air India flight crashed into the BJ Medical College hospital mess—just metres from her fifth-floor hostel room. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (AI171), carrying 242 passengers and crew, nose-dived seconds after take-off and crashed into the civil hospital campus in Ahmedabad's Meghaninagar area. The fiery explosion and debris tore through several buildings, killing everyone on board but one, along with 24 others on the ground. Aishwarya survived, but not without injuries and trauma. Wrapped in a blanket and navigating pitch-dark, smoke-filled corridors, she escaped down the stairs as the building shook and debris rained around her. She suffered burns during the descent but lived to recount the nightmare. 'This will stay with me for the rest of my life. I've never been so close to death. For a moment, I thought it was all over," Aishwarya told The Times of India. 'But I knew the building well. That helped me stay focused, not panic, and find my way out even though I was breathless and choking." Minutes later, she managed to call her father, Amol Toshniwal, who runs a cloth store in Akola's Durga Chowk. Amol shut his shop and rushed home in a daze as horrifying visuals from the crash site started streaming across news channels. 'It was nothing but God's grace," Times of India quoted an emotional Amol as saying. 'She had just returned to Ahmedabad a day after celebrating her grandfather's birthday with us. Who could have imagined such a thing the very next day?" The family—Aishwarya's mother, grandparents, and extended relatives—broke down on hearing her voice. Investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recovered the flight's Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), or Black Box, from the very rooftop of Aishwarya's hostel—highlighting how close she had been to the crash's epicentre. Officials said the recorder, typically located in the tail of the aircraft and crucial to reconstructing the jet's final moments, was found lodged near the top of the residential quarters of BJ Medical College. Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed the Black Box was recovered within 28 hours of the tragedy. Investigators are still searching for the Cockpit Voice Recorder. As the investigation deepens, officials are considering multiple possible causes, including technical failure, flap malfunction, or bird strikes. The DGCA has ordered enhanced safety inspections for all Boeing 787 Dreamliners in Air India's fleet. Back in Akola, the Toshniwal family is still shaken but grateful, also praying for those who didn't make it.
News18
13 hours ago
- General
- News18
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Air Hostess's Body Found In Aircraft's Tail, Black Box Decoding On
Last Updated: The body of an air hostess has been recovered from the tail of the aircraft at the crash site in Ahmedabad, officials said on Saturday. Days after 241 people on board the ill-fated Air India flight 171, travelling from Ahmedabad to London, died in the plane crash, the body of an air hostess was recovered from the tail of the aircraft by the NSG, officials said on Saturday. The officials have also recovered the black box from the wreckage in the city. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into the hostel mess building near the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad on Thursday, 33 seconds after takeoff – the horrific videos of which surfaced online. There was merely a lone survivor in the fatal incident. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Top Points NSG was conducting an investigation as part of its charter. While doing so, NSG discovered the body as it was in an inaccessible part of the plane, the NSG sources said. The NSG, forensic teams are among those at work at the crash site. At least 274 people were reported dead in the fatal plane crash. This death toll includes casualties of the passengers, crew members, and local residents. The government will hold a press conference today to give further details about the crash. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who visited and inspected the crash site, will address the mediapersons. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered stricter safety checks for all of Air India's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. This move is meant to prevent any repeat of what is now considered one of the deadliest air accidents in India's recent history. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has begun decoding the data from the recovered black box with full force, Naidu said. The black box comprises the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), and was recovered from the rooftop near the wreckage. The black box will help investigators find out what caused the Ahmedabad plane crash, whether it was due to a technical problem or human error. It contains detailed data like engine settings, flight altitude, pilot controls, and conversations in the cockpit. The government has set up a high-level committee, led by the Union Home Secretary, to examine the causes that resulted in the crash of the Air India plane. The committee will also suggest comprehensive guidelines to prevent any such incidents in the future. The committee will not be an alternative to other inquiries being conducted by relevant organisations, the civil aviation ministry said. Air India's Board has convened an urgent meeting to review the incident and chart a course forward, sources told CNN-News18. The Chairman and CEO of Air India updated the Board on the early findings and the progress of ongoing investigations. According to sources, the Board's first response was to order a thorough internal audit to check the condition of the aircraft and review maintenance practices across the entire fleet. First Published: June 14, 2025, 11:19 IST
India Gazette
18 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
J-K CM Omar Abdullah calls Air India plane crash 'regrettable accident,' offers condolences
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 14 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has described the Air India plane crash as a 'regrettable accident', while extending his condolences to the families of all the passengers and the Air India crew on that plane. Speaking to mediapersons, Omar Abdullah said, 'It was a regrettable accident. Right now, it is not even known whether anyone on the ground, or any doctor or student, was killed. I want to express my condolences to the families of all those passengers and the Air India crew on that plane. We hope that the reason behind this accident is revealed as soon as possible. We can only hope that such an accident does not happen again.' He also called for a quick investigation to determine the exact cause of the tragedy. On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was bound for London from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board - 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the site of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad. The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground. The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on Friday and met the survivor and other injured people. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing also released a statement on X: 'We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.' (ANI)
