Latest news with #VidhiChaudhary
TimesLIVE
13-06-2025
- General
- TimesLIVE
Rescuers search for missing people, aircraft parts after Air India crash kills more than 240
Rescue workers searched for missing people and aircraft parts on Friday after an Air India plane crashed onto a medical college hostel in the city of Ahmadabad, killing more than 240 people in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board, headed for Gatwick Airport south of London, had only one survivor after it crashed onto the hostel during lunch hour. There were also deaths on the ground, with local media putting the toll as high as 24. Reuters could not immediately verify the number. Authorities said they were continuing to search for people missing on the ground. Rescue personnel continued their search through the night and early morning, hunting for missing aircraft parts amid the debris that could explain why the plane crashed soon after taking off. Local newspaper Hindustan Times reported one of two black boxes from the plane had been found. Reuters could not verify the report and the paper did not say whether the flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder had been recovered. Residents living in the vicinity said construction of the hostel for resident doctors was completed only a year ago and the buildings were not fully occupied. 'We were at home and heard a massive sound. It appeared like a big blast. We then saw very dark smoke which engulfed the entire area,' said 63-year-old Nitin Joshi, who has been living in the area for more than 50 years. CCTV footage showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge fireball could be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Parts of the plane's fuselage were scattered around the smouldering building into which it crashed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. Air India said the lone survivor, a British national, was being treated in hospital. The man told Indian media he had heard a loud noise shortly after Flight AI171 took off. Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, said on Thursday the death toll was more than 240, revising down a previous toll of 294 as it included body parts that had been double counted. The dead included Vijay Rupani, former chief minister of Gujarat state, in which Ahmadabad is the main city. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hails from Gujarat, has visited the site and Air India CEO Campbell Wilson arrived in the early hours on Friday. The company has said the investigation would take time. Plane maker Boeing has said a team of experts is ready to go to India to help in the probe. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, a wide-body airliner that began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. The last fatal plane crash in India, the world's third-largest aviation market and its fastest growing, was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara, a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines, in 2024.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Doctor loses cousin after Air India plane crashes into hostel mess: 'My fingers are trembling'
A doctor has opened up on X about losing his cousin in the devastating Ahmedabad plane crash. 241 out of 242 people aboard an Air India flight were killed when the plane crashed into a residential area minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. 'I'm still in shock,' Dr Rishi Bose wrote. 'My fingers are trembling, my heart is shattered, my cousin is no more. He was in the hostel mess, sharing dreams with friends, when the Air India crash stole him away. He was supposed to come home last week but stayed back. Now he'll never return (sic),' he continued. The flight crashed into the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess in Meghani Nagar. Police officer Vidhi Chaudhary said that the authorities are still 'verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed.' In an update on X, the airline wrote, 'Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital.' "While four MBBS students living in the hostel died, 19 were injured. Five of them are serious. Two third-year students are untraceable," college dean Dr Minakshi Parikh told reporters. "A doctor's wife was also killed while two relatives of other doctors were injured. Three members of a doctor's family went missing after the incident. All other doctors and relatives are safe," said Parikh.
AsiaOne
13-06-2025
- General
- AsiaOne
Rescuers search for missing people, aircraft parts after Air India crash kills over 240, Asia News
AHMEDABAD, India — Rescue workers searched for missing people and aircraft parts on Friday (June 13) after an Air India plane crashed onto a medical college hostel in the city of Ahmedabad, killing more than 240 people in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board, headed for Gatwick Airport south of London, had only one survivor after it crashed onto the hostel during lunch hour. There were deaths on the ground as well, with local media putting the toll as high as 24. Reuters could not immediately verify the number. Authorities said they were still searching for people missing on the ground. Rescue personnel continued their search through the night and early morning, hunting for missing aircraft parts amid the debris that could explain why the plane crashed soon after taking off. Local newspaper Hindustan Times reported that one of two black boxes from the plane had been found. Reuters could not verify the report and the paper did not say whether the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder had been recovered. Residents living in the vicinity said that construction of the hostel for resident doctors was completed only a year ago and the buildings were not fully occupied. "We were at home and heard a massive sound, it appeared like a big blast. We then saw very dark smoke which engulfed the entire area," said 63-year-old Nitin Joshi, who has been living in the area for more than 50 years. CCTV footage showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge fireball could be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Parts of the plane's fuselage were scattered around the smouldering building into which it crashed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. Air India said the lone survivor, a British national, was being treated in the hospital. The man told Indian media how he had heard a loud noise shortly after Flight AI171 took off. Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, said on Thursday the death toll was more than 240, revising down a previous toll of 294 as it included body parts that had been double counted. The dead included Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat state, of which Ahmedabad is the main city. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hails from Gujarat, has visited the site and Air India Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson also arrived in the early hours of Friday. The company has said the investigation would take time. Planemaker Boeing has said a team of experts is ready to go to India to help in the probe. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, a wide-body airliner that began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. The last fatal plane crash in India, the world's third-largest aviation market and its fastest growing, was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara — a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines — in 2024. [[nid:719022]]
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First Post
13-06-2025
- General
- First Post
Ahmedabad plane crash: What brought down the London-bound Air India plane in 30 seconds?
More than 200 people were killed after an Air India plane crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, moments after take-off on Thursday. While the investigation will investigate why the AI-171 flight came down within seconds of lifting off, we take a look at what aviation experts have to say read more A police officer stands in front of the wreckage of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, June 12, 2025. Reuters India witnessed one of its worst aviation disasters in decades on Thursday (June 12) when an Air India plane crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, moments after take-off. The AI-171 flight was headed to London's Gatwick Airport. However, soon after it was airborne, the plane came down into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad's Meghani Nagar. According to Air India, there was only a lone survivor in the deadly crash that killed the remaining 241 people onboard. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While the investigation will find the exact reason behind the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, we take a look at what experts have to say. More from Explainers 5 videos that show Air India AI171 Ahmedabad plane crash and aftermath Visuals capture Air India flight crash Purported videos of the Air India flight crashing into a fireball have emerged on social media. Footage shows the AI-171 plane flying low over residential areas after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The last signal from the plane was received when it gained an altitude of 625 feet, according to Flight Radar. It then rapidly descended at a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute. As the plane dipped further, its tail sank more deeply under its nose, noted CNN. The Air India flight disappeared behind trees and apartment buildings. The clip then showed a huge explosion in the sky. Other videos showed a huge plume of black smoke emanating near the Ahmedabad airport. More than 200 people, including those on the ground when the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel, have been killed. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was on the plane, is also among the dead. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Inside view of a canteen building where the tail of an airplane stuck after it crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, India, Thursday, June 12, 2025. AP 'We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed,' Vidhi Chaudhary, a top Gujarat police officer, told Reuters. The lone survivor onboard the ill-fated plane has been identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national. He told Hindustan Times, 'Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.' Black boxes are key to investigation The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the Air India plane crash. Experts from the United Kingdom and the United States will join Indian investigators in the coming days to detect what brought the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner down. This is the first time that a 787-8 Dreamliner has suffered a fatal crash since it began commercial operations in 2011. Now, investigators will focus on the black boxes, or flight data recorders, and the debris of the aircraft to determine the cause of the tragedy. Black boxes contain vital information about the configuration of the aircraft, including the flaps and landing gear. ALSO READ: A Manipuri airhostess, a Kerala nurse… The victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash What could have caused the Air India flight crash? The exact cause of the Air India flight disaster will be known only after a detailed investigation. However, pilots and other aviation experts have conjectured about the possible reasons behind the crash. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Speculations have arisen that the plane, which a video shows is struggling to stay afloat, could have faced a double engine failure. But this is a very rare occurrence. A senior pilot told the BBC that a double engine failure may have resulted from clogged or contaminated fuel. Aircraft engines depend on a fuel metering system, which, if blocked, could lead to 'fuel starvation and engine shutdown'. Videos show the Air India plane trying hard to lift off the ground, possibly due to a lack of thrust or power. As per the Indian aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilot of the Air India aircraft gave a Mayday call to the Ahmedabad air traffic controller (ATC) soon after the flight took off. But there was no response from the aircraft after that. Another probable cause being discussed is a bird strike. This is when a bird collides with a plane, posing a serious threat to the aircraft. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Speaking to Sky News, Dr Jason Knight, senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth, said a bird strike could be a possible reason. 'It is very unlikely that the plane was overweight or carrying too much fuel. The aircraft is designed to be able to fly on one engine, so the most likely cause of the crash is a double engine failure,' he said. 'Because the altitude was so low, the pilot would have had very little time to do an emergency landing. The most likely cause of a double engine failure is a bird strike.' A bird hit is rarely deadly 'unless it affects both engines', a senior pilot was quoted as saying by BBC. Some experts have pointed towards the wing flaps of the Air India aircraft. Three experts told the British broadcaster that the aircraft's flaps were not extended during take-off. Wing flaps help a plane create maximum lift at lower speeds. If they are not fully extended, the aircraft will face problems lifting off. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to an India Today report, the standard operating procedure for the 787 plane is to set flaps at five (or higher) for take-off. They are then gradually retracted as the aircraft gains altitude. Former British Airways pilot Alastair Rosenschein told Sky News about the Air India flight, 'It's clearly got its [landing] gear down and that is not correct… it should have been up. And from the video… it's not immensely clear… but it does look like the aircraft didn't have its take-off flap setting.' He admitted he was speculating, but it 'could explain why the aircraft came down' as the 'aircraft would not have been able to maintain flight'. 'The video is not that clear, but it [the flaps setting] doesn't look right to me,' he added. The weather is also likely to be a part of the investigation. However, experts say that conditions in Ahmedabad were suitable for flight, thus it may not be a factor for the crash. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
1News
13-06-2025
- General
- 1News
One survivor reported from Air India crash that killed over 240
An Air India plane bound for London crashed in a residential area of Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff yesterday, killing 241 people on board, the airline said. One passenger who was thrown from the plane survived. At least five medical students in a college hostel were killed when the plane hit the building and burst into flames, according to a medical association officer. 'Most of the bodies have been charred beyond recognition,' said Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer in the city in northwestern India. A single passenger has survived the crash of an Air India passenger plane in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. (Source: Breakfast) ADVERTISEMENT Indian Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that he met the sole survivor at the hospital. A doctor said he had examined the survivor, whom he identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh. 'He was disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body,' Dr Dhaval Gameti told The Associated Press. 'But he seems to be out of danger.' Another medic said Ramesh told him that immediately after the plane took off, it began descending and suddenly split in two, throwing him out before a loud explosion. Black smoke billowed from the site where the plane crashed near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city of more than 5 million and the capital of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. London-bound Air India plane crashes into building on take-off – For more go to TVNZ+ Firefighters doused the smoking wreckage of the plane, which would have been fully loaded with fuel shortly after takeoff, and adjacent multistorey buildings with water. Charred bodies lay on the ground and parts of the fuselage were scattered around the site. Indian army teams were assisting civil authorities to clear debris and help treat the injured. Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT A video on social media showed the jet slowly descending as if it were landing. As soon as it disappeared from view behind rows of houses, a giant fireball filled the sky. The AP was able to verify the video by matching up the flight path of the plane from the runway with the crash site and the nearby residential area. At the crash site, the tail cone of the aircraft with damaged stabiliser fins still attached was lodged near the top of one of the buildings. An infographic showing the Air India crash in Ahmedabad (Source: Getty) Others may be buried in debris Search and rescue teams respond to the scene of a plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Source: Associated Press) In a social media post, Modi called the crash 'heartbreaking beyond words" and said 'my thoughts are with everyone affected'. Sambit Patra, a lawmaker from Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said Gujarat's former chief minister, Vijay Rupani, was among the dead. ADVERTISEMENT Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, said at least five students from the medical college were killed on the ground and 50 others were injured. Singh said some of them were in critical condition and many people are 'feared buried in the debris'. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including Air India crash, ferry still out of action, and ignoring TikTok KiwiSaver hacks. (Source: 1News) Air India confirmed in a statement posted on X that 229 passengers and 12 crew members were killed in the crash. The only survivor was a British national of Indian origin. The flight bound for London Gatwick Airport had 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian passenger aboard. 'Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones,' the airline said. The first crash of a Boeing 787 Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state. (Source: Associated Press) This is the first crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Boeing said it was "working to gather more information". ADVERTISEMENT India's aviation regulatory body said the aircraft gave a mayday call, signalling an emergency, but then did not respond to the calls made by the airport traffic control. Aviation consultant John M. Cox, the CEO of Safety Operating Systems, told the AP from Los Angeles that while the first images of the crash were poor, it appeared the aircraft had its nose up and was not climbing, which is one of the things that investigators would look at. "At this point, it's very, very, very early; we don't know a whole lot," he said. 'But the 787 has very extensive flight data monitoring — the parameters on the flight data recorder are in the thousands — so once we get that recorder, they'll be able to know pretty quickly what happened." Inside view of a canteen building where the tail of an airplane stuck after it crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, India. (Source: Associated Press) The wide-body, twin-engine aircraft was introduced in 2009, and more than 1000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, according to the flightradar24 website. UK promises support (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government was in constant contact with Indian authorities and encouraged loved ones of passengers on the Air India flight to contact the foreign office. 'Our hearts and our thoughts are absolutely with the friends and families of all those affected who are going to be absolutely devastated by this awful news,' Starmer said. British Cabinet minister Lucy Powell said the government will provide 'all the support that it can' to those affected by the crash. Britain has very close ties with India. There were nearly 1.9 million people in the country of Indian descent, according to the 2021 UK census. Condolences also poured in from King Charles III, who said he and his wife, Queen Camilla, were 'desperately shocked' by the crash. 'Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations,' he said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Previous air disasters in India People stand around the debris of an airplane after it crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state. (Source: Associated Press) The last major passenger plane crash in India was in 2020, when an Air India Express Boeing-737 skidded off a hilltop runway in southern India, killing 21 people. The worst air disaster in India was on November 12, 1996, when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided midair with a Kazakhstan Airlines Flight near Charki Dadri in Haryana state, killing all 349 on board the two planes. Boeing has been in recovery mode for more than six years after Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 Max 8, plunged into the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board. Five months later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 Max 8, crashed after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing 157 passengers and crew members. Shares of Boeing Co. tumbled nearly 9% before trading opened in the US.
