Importance Score: 72 / 100 🔴
Following the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, authorities are working to identify victims and investigate the cause. The London-bound aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, prompting widespread grief and an official inquiry. The incident underscores the critical importance of aviation safety and disaster response protocols.
Recovery Efforts and Identification
Medical professionals in India report that 270 bodies have been recovered from the site of Thursday’s deadly plane crash in Ahmedabad. The aircraft, en route to London, went down in a residential area soon after departure.
- All but one of the 242 passengers and crew members perished in the crash; the lone survivor is a 40-year-old British man.
- Officials are working to determine the number of fatalities on the ground.
- The painstaking task of matching DNA samples is underway to confirm the identities of the victims.
Commemoration and Mourning
Candlelight vigils to remember those who died have been organized across both India and the United Kingdom.
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Investigation into the Air Disaster
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India is spearheading the investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Teams from the United States and the United Kingdom are assisting in the inquiry.
Black Box Recovery
On Friday, the aircraft’s black box was located at the crash site. India’s civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, stated that the device would “significantly aid the inquiry” into the catastrophe.
Crash Details
The aircraft lost altitude and crashed into a building used as accommodations for doctors from the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital less than a minute after departing Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Victim Confirmation
Dr. Dhaval Gameti, President of the Junior Doctors’ Association of the college, verified on Saturday that the hospital had received the remains of 270 individuals. It is believed that 241 of these were passengers and crew members of Flight AI171.
Aircraft History
According to data from the Flightradar24 tracking website, the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 was 11 years old and had completed 25 flights between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick in the preceding two years.
Regulatory Response
Following Thursday’s accident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, mandated extra safety inspections on Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft as a “preventive measure.”
Official Visits
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent approximately 20 minutes walking around the site of the plane crash on Friday.
He also visited the hospital to meet individuals injured in the accident, including Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor from the plane, and stated that “the entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery.”
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also visited the crash site on Friday, describing the experience as “deeply moving.”