AI plane crashes:At least 265 killed,National Tragedy: Amit Shah

In Gujarat, at least 265 people were killed on Thursday when a London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad and burst into a ball of fire less than a minute after takeoff, an official said. The dead in the country's worst air disaster in recent times included several people on the ground. While one passenger identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived the crash near the airport involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner(AI 171), BJP leader C R Paatil said former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the dead.
"265 bodies have reached the city civil hospital as per the message we received," Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai told reporters late in the night several hours after the twin-engine wide-body aircraft crashed in the city civil hospital and BJ Medical College outside the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport perimeter. Several bodies were reported to be charred beyond recognition.
Four MBBS students and a doctor's wife were among those killed, a senior official said. Several students were impacted after parts of the plane smashed into a dining hall at lunch time in the multi-storey hostel building. According to Air India, of the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. The other 12 people on board were two pilots and 10 crew members.Union minister Amit Shah told reporters that the temperature in the ill-fated plane was so high due to burning fuel that there was no chance to save anyone. “There was 1.25 lakh litres of fuel inside the plane and it caught heat so it was impossible to save anyone,” Shah said. “The number of those killed will be officially released by the authorities after DNA test and identification of the victims."  Shah described the crash of Air India Flight AI171 as a “national tragedy that has plunged the entire country into mourning” and expressing grief over the immense loss of life, assured families of the victims that the government will provide unwavering support during this time of sorrow.
Amit Shah visited the Civil Hospital in Asarwa, Ahmedabad, to meet the sole survivor, other victims’ families, and assess the medical response. He also chaired a high-level review meeting with officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Gujarat government to oversee rescue operations and coordinate investigations.
The search was also on for the aircraft's black box -- the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder-for clues to understand what happened in the last crucial moments of the doomed flight to London’s Gatwick airport. The 11-year-old aircraft could be seen from miles away, losing altitude rapidly and combusting in a fiery blaze that sent plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air. “The aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST from Runway 23. It gave a MAYDAY Call to ATC, but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” according to a statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).The ill-fated flight was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal along with First Officer Clive Kundar. While Sabharwal has 8,200 hours of flying experience, Kundar 1,100 hours, the DGCA said in a statement.

Eyewitnesses in Ahmedabad said the blaze was so intense that it led to several multi-storey buildings being burnt, trees singed and cars damaged. One image showed the snout of the plane crashing through the top floor of a building that appeared to be a dining area of the hostel of nurses and doctors. Elsewhere too, there were scenes of complete devastation with mangled metal of the wreckage, snarls of tangled wire and smoke rising from burning embers.Aircraft maker Boeing said in a statement that it is in contact with Air India and stands ready to offer any support to the Tata-owned airline.

(State Correspondent)