LIVE Ahmedabad plane crash: Police file accidental death case, agencies launch probe

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday said the black box of Air India's crashed Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has been recovered from the rooftop of the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad.

Air India's flight AI171 crashed and blew up just outside the Ahmedabad airport yesterday, killing almost everyone on board (241 of 242 passengers plus crew, including 14 children and 3 infants). The sole survivor, a British national of Indian heritage, jumped out of seat 11A.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft fell on the BJ Medical College mess and residential quarters, causing more casualties and injuries (no official figures yet).

The Tata Group announced a payout of Rs 1 crore per person killed in the accident and relief flights to Ahmedabad for next of kin. Air India hotlines 1800 5691 444 (within India); +91 8062779200 (overseas callers)

More in yesterday's live blog

While the families of the Ahmedabad plane crash victims are already finding it tough to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones, what is adding to their woes is the long wait they have to endure to get their mortal remains.

More than 30 hours have passed since the horrific crash snuffed out the lives of 265 people, including 241 passengers and 12 crew members.

Read more here

The Ahmedabad city police have registered a case of accidental death in the plane crash incident that claimed the lives of 265 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, officials said on Friday.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has already launched a formal investigation into the incident. Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other central agencies on Friday visited the plane crash site in Meghaninagar area, sources said.

As per the accidental death report filed by the Meghaninagar police station on Thursday evening, they received the information about the crash and the resultant fire at around 1.44 pm on Thursday.

During the firefighting operation, the police found that the majority of the passengers as well as crew members were charred to death and their bodies taken to civil hospital in ambulances, said the police report, adding that people living in doctors' residence also lost their lives in the crash.

Deputy chief fire officer Dhrumit Gandhi on Friday said the search and rescue operation concluded in the morning. "Our search and rescue operation came to an end in the morning and the site has been handed over to forensic experts as well as civil aviation officials. A team of firemen, equipped with tools such as metal cutters, are accompanying them to help them in clearing the debris for the purpose of the probe," he said.

Bhumi Chauhan was crestfallen when she was not allowed to board the Air India Ahmedabad-London flight due to a 10 minute delay on her part, but knowledge about its horrific fate some time later made her realise traffic congestion in Ahmedabad had just delivered a miracle in her life.

Chauhan, who was travelling from her native Bharuch 200 km away, said the check-in gates for the flight closed at 12.10 pm, just 10 minutes before she reached the airport after getting stuck in traffic that needed a detour, including through congested Ahmedabad city roads.

"At the time, I was crestfallen and had gone numb at having missed my flight to London. However, whatever happened later told me the goddess had helped me with a miracle by ensuring I was late. It was divine providence that I was not allowed to board despite fervent requests," said Chauhan, who settled in London two years ago with her husband.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday said the black box of Air India's crashed Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has been recovered from the rooftop of the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick airport crashed soon after taking off into the residential quarters of the medical college.t

An official said the black box was recovered from the rooftop of the residential quarters.

"AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the state government joined efforts to augment the MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation) teams on site. The DFDR (Black Box) has been recovered from the rooftop," the statement said.

A black box is a small device that records information about an aircraft during its flight. It helps in the investigation of aviation accidents.

Aviation industry experts on Friday said only a full investigation into the London-bound Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad would determine the cause of the accident and people should wait for the proper investigation to conclude.

Read more here

Aviation watchdog DGCA on Friday ordered enhanced safety inspection of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, a day after 241 people onboard died in the plane crash in Ahmedabad.

There are 26 Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s in the fleet of Air India owned by Tata Group.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 planes that are equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect. These actions will be carried out in coordination with the DGCA regional offices concerned.

At least two whistleblowers at Boeing had raised safety concerns — about the planes that were shipped to Air India specifically. What did they say and why wasn't action taken? Is the United States' FAA to blame?

Read more here

The priority for investigators at the crash site just now will be recovering and analysing the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) — commonly referred to as the 'black boxes' (they are, in fact, bright orange for easy location and identification in case of just such a mishap).

What has reportedly been found today by one of the Gujarat ATS personnel seems to be the flight's digital video recorder (DVR).

More on what investigators are hoping to find here.

As a few families are able to take the remains of their loved ones away, without the punishing 72-hour wait for a match, it is still a painful affair of taking away in a closed casket unrecognisable bodies — or more commonly, gruesomely and heartbreakingly, unrecognisable body parts brought together to the best of the forensic and rescue ops teams' abilities.

Medical students residing in the BJ Medical College hostel where the plane crashed are now being allowed to collect their belongings — such as have survived.

Most vehicles and personal items in the area went up in the giant fireball that the aircraft generated. Students and interns are striving to collect what may have survived in enclosed spaces or luggage.

Yes, even for the blessedly unscathed, there are lives to rebuild.

While the forensics teams race to keep pace, most families coming in for testing have been told to expect a delay of 72 hours until a match is confirmed.

Ayub Sheik was one whose DNA sample was collected earlier today. He is the maternal uncle of Javed Ali, who was on the flight with his wife and children. He told PTI, “My nephew, his wife and children were here for a holiday…”

Staff at the Forensic Sciences Laboratory are in a race against time to match up DNA samples of victims and their next of kin — for the samples deteriorate quickly due to the high temperatures across north-west India just now.

Professor of forensic sciences Dr Naresh Kumar Soni told PTI, "Since there's a risk of contamination over time due to temperature, the FSL team is working as quickly as possible."

Samples from the 265 dead bodies recovered were collected yesterday itself, 12 June. Now it remains to collect samples from the living to match families up...

Indian-origin dentist Nirali Patel was the lone Canadian citizen killed in the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, a Toronto-based news outlet reports.

Nirali Patel, 32, who lived in Etobicoke, Toronto, was travelling back to Canada from a short “social trip” in India, per CTV News Toronto. Her parents, brother and sister-in-law live in Brampton.

Nirali's husband is planning to travel to India along with their one-year-old child, it added.

Ontario premier Doug Ford offered his condolences on Patel's demise in the tragic crash. “I’m saddened to learn that a Canadian from Mississauga, Ontario was among those lost in the tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad. On behalf of the people of Ontario, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of every victim,” Ford posted on X on Thursday.

Earlier, Canada's prime minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” to learn that the crash included a Canadian national.

Foreign minister Anita Anand too called it “distressing news”, “devastating”.

“Canada is in close contact with our international partners. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have been lost in this tragedy,” she said in a post on X.

Ravindra Thakore of Ahmedabad is unsure whether to mourn or keep looking for his mother and his daughter. The older lady worked at the canteen of the BJ Medical College hostel, into which the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft crashed, and was also looking after her grandchild while in her workplace.

He told PTI, “I want the authorities to check inside the building. I want to go by myself. I have checked in a private hospital but there is no information... My mother and my two-year-old daughter were here and now there is no information…”

Forensic teams have been seen leaving the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital with DNA samples for testing and matching to those already collected from the deceased yesterday.

Was it a bird hit, a very, very double-engine failure, or something else? A review of the hypotheses from aviation experts and veterans.

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar has posted on X to say he is "In touch with [foreign secretary David Lammy] of UK, [foreign minister Paulo Rangel] of Portugal and [foreign minister Anita Anand] of Canada regarding the Ahmedabad plane crash".

"Expressed our profound condolences and offered fullest support in this hour of grief," posted the EAM.

Flight AI717 had on board 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.

Earlier Jaishankar had posted a short note of gratitude to various foreign leaders and governments who had extended their condolences on the tragic loss, saying, "We appreciate this deeply."

Vishwaskumar Ramesh, who is the sole crash survivor, was seated in 11A. In an interview with a mediaperson following PM Modi's visit to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, he said that he got out not mid-flight — as some netizens have been speculating — but just as the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel building.

Sounding a little halting and uncertain as he struggled to articulate what was surely a rapidfire sequence of events, he claimed his seat (on the left side of the plane) was on the other side from the building into which the aircraft got lodged on impact — leaving him just enough space to get out of the emergency exit door.

He also said he saw others around him — aunties and uncles in other seats — afire. His own left arm was singed in the blaze, he says, for which he got first aid in the ambulance.

From videos of the plane going up in flames, Ramesh would have had mere seconds to get out and get to a safe enough distance.

Bodies of six Air India plane crash victims have been handed over to their relatives, say Ahmedabad police.

Netizens have expressed alarm and concern over a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing right below the impacted BJ Medical College mess building with the tail section of the aircraft sticking out of it — with not even a helmet in sight.

Hopefully there are security personnel just out of the frame to push the PM or cover him in case of a mishap, but really, is the risk to a nation's leader worth taking?

PTI has shared a video interview with Babiben, who lost her grandson in the crash and whose daughter-in-law is said to be battling for life at the Civil Hospital.

She runs a tea stall outside the medical college hostel where the plane crashed yesterday.

Amongst the injured recovering at the hospital is Vishwaskumar Ramesh, the passenger from seat 11A who is the sole survivor from the flight because he was in an emergency exit seat and jumped out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen having a word with the British national.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 60, was the seniormost crew member on Air India flight AI717. When we look at videos of the pilot, in a last-ditch attempt, trying to turn the craft nose up as it loses altitude rapidly... that was probably him.

Sabharwal lived in Jal Vayu Vihar, Powai, with his 90-year-old father. According to neighbours, he was just a few months from retirement himself.

“He was very reserved, disciplined,” said a neighbour.

In Delhi, his nephews — children of his older sister — are both commercial pilots.

It took a pilot with over 8,200 flight miles logged to have the gumption to send out an immediate MAYDAY call within seconds of takeoff: "Mayday...no thrust, losing power, unable to lift".

Sabharwal knew what was up, and tried... in vain.

Aparna Mahadik, wife of a relative of NCP MP Sunil Tatkare, lost her life in the Ahmedabad plane crash.

Mahadik was a flight attendant; her husband is also a pilot with Air India.

They lived in Mumbai’s Goregaon, where she also leaves behind a 10-year-old daughter.

Families of those killed in the crash have begun to arrive at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for DNA sample collection. The police is taking care of their comfort, going the extra mile.

Samples from all 265 recovered bodies were already taken yesterday. Now, samples from their family members are required to match up and identify the bodies, many of which are charred well beyond recognition from the huge explosion as the jet fuel went up in flames on impact.

PM Modi arrived in Ahmedabad early this morning and visited the crash site, and is now at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

After arrival at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport, he drove first to the crash site in the Meghaninagar area, accompanied by Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, officials say.

He will be looking to meet those injured on the ground by the plane crash now.

"The Indian National Congress extends its deepest condolences to all the families bereaved and so devastatingly affected by the crash of AI-171 yesterday," Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, has posted on X.

"We had hoped and prayed while awaiting confirmation of fatalities. The confirmation is grim news and the INC joins the nation in our collective anguish and grief over this most unfortunate and shocking tragedy," he adds.

Air India regretfully confirmed the 241 fatalities from the flight late Thursday night in what has been the first such accident with a Dreamliner and the worst aviation accident in the nation's history.

Air India has announced that it has set up 'Friends & Relatives Assistance Centres' at Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Gatwick airports "to provide support and take care of the needs of the families and loved ones of those on flight AI171".

These centres are also facilitating travel to Ahmedabad for family members, it said on X.

Dedicated passenger hotline number for those calling from within India: 1800 5691 444; and those calling from outside India: +91 8062779200.

Air India had yesterday announced relief flights for next of kin from Mumbai and Delhi to Ahmedabad and a Rs 1 crore payout for each life lost.