(NDTV)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday and visited 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.
The Prime Minister arrived at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport and drove straight to the crash site in the Meghaninagar area, officials said. 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.
PM Modi, who served as Gujarat Chief Minister for 12 years, earlier said he was “stunned” by the tragedy. “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,” he said on X on Thursday.
On Thursday Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu had visited the site to take stock of the situation. The Centre has formed a high-level committee to probe the crash, Mr Kinjarapu said.
The crash took place seconds after AI 171 took off for London Gatwick airport from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Officials said the flight lost altitude soon after taking off at around 1.30pm, before crashing into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors in Meghaninagar area and going up in flames, sending plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air.
The pilot had issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said.
Aviation experts said that going by the available visuals, lack of thrust in both engines and a bird hit could be among the probable causes.
Visuals from the wreckage area showed bodies being pulled out and the injured, many with burns, wheeled into the city civil hospital close by. At least five students at the medical college were killed in the accident.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the aircraft was piloted by captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 hours of experience and first officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 hours of experience.
Air India confirmed 241 people were killed in the crash. “The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national. The survivor is a British national of Indian origin,” the airline said.
