…Prime Minister Narendra Modi describes the crash as “heartbreaking beyond words.
The iNews Times brings you update on the horrific Air India plane crash which occurred on Thursday in Ahmedabad, India.
The latest update indicates that the crash resulted in the deaths of at least 265 people comprising those on board and on the ground.
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, was bound for Gatwick Airport in London when it plummeted into a residential area shortly after takeoff.
As at Friday, rescue teams, aided by sniffer dogs, combed the crash site, searching for survivors and recovering bodies.
The impact of the crash was catastrophic, with the tailpiece of the aircraft jutting out of the second floor of a hostel housing medical staff from a nearby hospital. The nose and front wheel of the plane landed on a canteen building, where students were said to be having lunch, according to witnesses.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kanan Desai, 265 bodies had been counted so far, suggesting that at least 24 people died on the ground. He noted that the death toll may rise as more body parts are recovered.
Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the official number of deceased would be declared after completing DNA testing.
He said, families of the victims have been informed, and DNA samples are being collected to facilitate identification.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who visited the devastated neighborhood on Friday, described the crash as “heartbreaking beyond words.”
Air India revealed that there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian on board, along with 12 crew members.
Miraculously, one passenger, a British national of Indian origin, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh,, survived the crash.
He is currently receiving treatment in a hospital and reportedly has no memory of how he exited the plane.
The iNews Times learnt that his brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, shared that Vishwash said, “I have no idea how I exited the plane.”
As the investigation into the cause of the crash begins, experts have cautioned against speculation.
Senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth, Jason Knight, suggested that a double engine failure, potentially caused by a bird strike, is a possible cause of the crash.
However, it is too early to determine the exact cause of the incident.
The Air India crash has brought attention to the country’s rapidly growing aviation industry, which has experienced significant expansion in recent years.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has projected that India will become the third-largest air market within the decade, driven by India’s economic growth and increasing demand for air travel.
Tata Group, the owner of Air India, in response to the tragedy, has offered financial aid of 10 million rupees ($117,000) to the families of each person who lost their life, as well as funds to cover medical expenses for those injured.
The United Kingdom and United States air accident investigation agencies have announced that they will dispatch teams to support their Indian counterparts in the investigation.
As the nation mourns the devastating loss of life, relatives of the passengers have gathered at an emergency center in Ahmedabad to give DNA samples and seek information about their loved ones.
40-year-old Ashfaque Nanabawa, came to find his cousin Akeel Nanabawa, who was on board with his wife and three-year-old daughter.
Akeel reportedly made a “last call” to his family just before takeoff, saying, “I am in the plane, and I have boarded safely, and everything was okay.”
The grieving family members are waiting anxiously for news, and the process of identifying the victims is underway.
As investigations aim to determine the cause of the tragedy, the devastating crash has left the community in shock.
