2 days ago
Air India plane crash: Ranjitha Gopakimar, 38-year-old nurse from Kerala's Pathanamthitta, among those killed
A 38-year-old nurse Ranjitha Gopakimar, hailing from Thiruvalla in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district, was among the victims of the London-bound Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, news agency ANI quoted her family as confirming.
Earlier in the days, a London-bound Air India flight, carrying 242 people onboard, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. It struck a doctors' hostel and claimed numerous lives.
Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandesekhar and Kerala BJP chief took to X and wrote, "Tributes to Ranjitha R. Nair from Kozhencherry, who lost her life in the Ahmedabad plane crash."
According to the details, Ranjitha worked as a nurse in the United Kingdom and was on the ill-fated flight. She was confirmed dead, her relatives also said. She is survived by her two children and her mother who currently reside in Thiruvalla.
Onboard the London-bound Air India flight, former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani died in the horrific crash. He is the second former Gujarat chief minister to have died in an air disaster.
BJP leader CR Patil confirmed his death and offered his condolences to the departed soul.
Rupani was passenger number 12 on the flight manifest and booked in the Z class—business category. He is survived by his wife, Anjali Rupani, and two children, a son and a daughter.
Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik, while speaking with the ANI, confirmed that authorities found 'one survivor in seat 11A'. He said, 'One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area.'
The survivor is reportedly a British national, identified as Vishwash.
Meanwhile, Malik told Reuters that 204 bodies have been recovered from the crash site so far. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
An Air India flight AI171, with 242 passengers onboard, has crashed in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday. Of the 242 people on board, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, seven were Portuguese, and one was Canadian.
Air India's owners, the Tata Group, have now announced a compensation of ₹ 1 crore to the families of each passenger who has lost their life in the deadly plane crash.
Tata Group took to social media to post the update about the compensation to families. The post reads, 'We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India Flight 171. No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who have been injured.'
