As soon as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport, he drove straight to the site of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash that killed 241 people a day earlier, one of the worst air disasters in recent times.
He was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
He also met the lone survivor of the crash,Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, at the hospital.
A London-bound Air India plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, crashed into a medical college complex shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon.
The Prime Minister spoke to Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu to take stock of the situation following the Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad airport. PM Modi directed the minister to ensure all necessary support is extended without delay and asked to be kept regularly updated on the rescue and relief efforts.
The aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing 241 people on board.
There were 230 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots on the flight. One person, the passenger of seat No. 11A, survived the crash, officials said.
According to officials, the person is a British national of Indian origin who was seated in 11A, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
The Prime Minister, who served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister for 12 years, had expressed his grief on his X handle on Thursday. “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
The crash is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history. The government has launched a comprehensive investigation into the tragedy. A team of forensic experts arrived at the crash site to begin an investigation and evidence collection as part of the ongoing probe
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who rushed to the crash site from Vijayawada on Thursday, said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been tasked with leading the inquiry.
“Following the tragic incident in Ahmedabad, a formal investigation has been initiated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in line with international protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Additionally, the Government is constituting a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines to examine the matter in detail. The committee will work to strengthen aviation safety and prevent such incidents in future,” the Minister announced on his X handle.
The AAIB, functioning under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is India’s designated authority for probing serious aviation incidents and operates in accordance with global standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had issued a distress call moments before losing altitude, and investigators are now focused on the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder — commonly known as black boxes — to reconstruct the final moments of the flight.
