AI 171 Crash: Burnt Body In Tail, Second Found In Debris In Ahmedabad
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One body, believed to be of an air hostess, was recovered from the tail of the plane as authorities undertook operations to remove the flight debris precariously embedded in the building. Later, another body was found from the debris of the mess building.
Officials of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) said that a major operation was undertaken on Saturday to extricate the crashed plane's tail from the mess building.
As the tail was cut using a gas cutter, rescuers stumbled upon a burnt and highly decomposed body. Due to copious amounts of water used to douse the fire on the crashed flight, the burnt body had bloated beyond recognition. "Considering the fragments of clothing found on the body, it is believed to be that of an air hostess," an AFES official said.
The body was recovered around 9am and was sent for postmortem and identification.
Later, as the AFES personnel carried on with the search and rescue operations, another body was found from the debris of the hostel mess building that suffered massive damage and destruction after the rear end of the AI 171 crashed into the building. The body was also found in a highly decomposed state and sent for postmortem and identification, sources said. It is believed that the body could be of a medico or a local in the mess.
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AFES authorities said that the mega-operation to remove the plane debris is ongoing and will continue for some more time. Officials said that once the plane debris is removed, exhaustive search will be carried in the mess building debris too to ensure that there is no missing body or body part of any victim — passengers or citizens on the ground.
With help from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the AMC team removed the AI 171's tail and landing gear from the BJMC mess building using 50- and 60-tonne heavy-duty cranes.
The authorities deployed 35 ambulances to send bodies of crash victims to their families. The birth and death department completed all necessary procedures to issue death certificates to the families of the deceased based on DNA reports and required evidence. Adequate arrangements were made in all crematoriums for the last rites.
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