Newlywed from Rajasthan on way to meet husband in UK among victims of Gujarat air crash
advertisementMoments later, the family was driving back when news of the crash shattered their world.
Khushboo got married to Vipul in January this year. Vipul had returned to London, where he works as a doctor, just two months after the wedding.Khushboo had since been staying between at her marital and parental homes, waiting for her passport and travel papers to be finalised.Her departure was an emotional moment for the family. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she hugged her mother and siblings before leaving home. Her father, who runs a sweets shop and farms in the village, was driving the car, accompanied by his nephew.Local BJP youth leader Durga Singh Rajpurohit confirmed that the family left the village on Wednesday and reached Ahmedabad late at night. Khushboo's younger siblings — two sisters and a brother — are now left grappling with the sudden loss.advertisementThe London-bound flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 pm on Thursday. Just minutes into the journey, it issued a mayday call and crashed into a government hospital hostel near the airport. The aircraft burst into flames on impact, leaving behind a trail of devastation.Officials confirmed that 204 people were killed and 41 others were injured, many of them critically. The Indian Medical Association said three medical students were among the deceased, while several others were injured. Among the victims were nationals from India, the UK, Portugal, and Canada.Government agencies, including the Army, NDRF, and CISF launched a large-scale rescue operation. Flight operations at the airport were temporarily halted and later resumed. An investigation led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is underway to determine the cause of the crash.
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Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
AI 171 Tragedy: Six families receive second set of remains
Ahmedabad: Six families of victims of the AI 171 crash on Thursday received a 'second set' of remains from the Civil Hospital. These remains were from the 16 more found at the wreckage site in Meghaninagar during post-disaster operations, and were matched with DNA samples provided by kin. This handover may mean a second funeral for some victims. A consent form had been distributed among relatives of the deceased including passengers, crew members, doctors, their relatives and local residents, sources close to the development said. "The form sought permission to carry out last rites of remains that may be found during the further clearing of the spot or during medical analysis," said an official. The six families, all from different parts of Gujarat, including Anand, Nadiad, and Ahmedabad, had asked hospital authorities to approach them in case of a DNA match. "It is rare for the same person to have more than one funeral, but in this case, the families have the DNA match and certificate of handover of the mortal remains. Thus, there will be no issue even if there is more than one funeral for the remains," added the official. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Out of the remaining ten, nine have consented to the hospital carrying out last rites, whereas a response from one family of the victim is awaited, said the sources. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The sources added that the new set of remains is minuscule compared to the first. "Some have part of the body, whereas some have one or more bones. Due to the nature of the crash, it is possible that victims' bodies underwent intense distress that may have caused the fragmentation," said an official associated with the process. At the end of June, the state health department put the death toll in the disaster at 260. The figure included 229 passengers and 12 crew members aboard the ill-fated AI 141, totalling 241. The remaining 19 people lost their lives on the ground. These included four medical students, four relatives of doctors and students living at the medical hostel in Meghaninagar, and at least five residents of the locality including a couple, a child and a youth. All mortal remains were sent to forensic science laboratories for DNA matching with the existing record of relatives. All 260 matches and handing over of bodies were completed within a fortnight of the crash.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
AMC to trim 1K trees near airport after AI crash
1 2 Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) garden department will begin trimming 1,013 trees identified within the take-off and landing corridors of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport, three weeks after the devastating Air India flight 171 crash. The aircraft crashed over a medical college hostel in Meghaninagar on June 12, resulting in 260 deaths. The tragedy prompted immediate safety audits by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which ordered comprehensive surveys of all obstructions in flight paths. "The airport management subsequently wrote to us requesting tree trimming operations across multiple spots," a senior AMC official told TOI. He added, "We have received the complete list of trees located within the airport's take-off and landing funnel areas. All 1,013 trees will be trimmed strategically to reduce their heights while ensuring minimal environmental impact." You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad The trimming operation is part of broader safety measures initiated following the crash. The district collector of Ahmedabad, along with AMC and related agencies, launched simultaneous surveys of building heights around the airport perimeter. AMC sources recall that within days of the AI 171 crash, the district collector announced that a survey of areas surrounding SVPI Airport would be conducted by AMC and Civil Aviation department officials, in accordance with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has mandated height verification for all structures within designated funnel zones, cross-referencing existing No Objection Certificates. "Buildings exceeding prescribed height limits may face regulatory action, with violators being compiled into separate lists for enforcement measures," said a senior AMC official. The officials also said that the "tree trimming process would strictly adhere to scientific guidelines, thereby ensuring that trees remained healthy while complying with height restrictions. Meanwhile, the building height survey continues across multiple zones, with preliminary findings expected within weeks.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Indian Army mobilised 150-plus personnel within minutes of Air India plane crash
The Army responded swiftly to the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last month, mobilising more than 150 personnel within minutes for the rescue operation , a senior official said here on Thursday. Disaster relief is no longer an episodic task and has become an operational reality that must be "planned for, trained for, and seamlessly executed," said Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth. He was speaking at a high-level symposium on 'Role of Corps of Engineers in National Disaster Management Framework: Risk, Resilience and Response' at the College of Military Engineering (CME) here. The event brought together senior leadership from the Army, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) and key institutions involved in national disaster response framework. Given the vast footprint of the Indian Army across the length and breadth of the country, it is often best positioned to respond to natural or other disasters, even becoming the first responders when civilian capacity is overwhelmed, Lieutenant General Seth said. Live Events Within minutes of the crash of Air India AI-171 at Ahmedabad, in which more than 250 persons were killed, "we had over 150 personnel from the military station, comprising engineers, medical, firefighting and QRT General Officer Commanding of the division based at Ahmedabad himself was at the crash site within minutes," he said. The prompt decision to breach the wall between the military hospital and the B K Medical College which was struck by the crashed aircraft helped in saving precious lives of those trapped within the college complex, Seth said. Over the past decade, the scale and frequency of natural disasters have visibly increased, Seth said. "They are no longer sporadic events, but recurring disruptions with serious national consequences. The floods in Assam, the landslides in Himachal and Wayanad, the cloudbursts in Uttarakhand, and the cyclones along both the coasts are stark reminders of this growing challenge," he added. India suffered economic losses of over USD 12 billion in 2024, well above the previous 10-year average of USD 8 billion, due to natural disasters, Seth said. The Corps of Engineers has emerged as a "critical enabler" in relief work, he said, adding that from bridging broken links in Wayanad or enabling urban flood relief in Pune to supporting India's international humanitarian outreach during Operation Brahma in Myanmar, military engineers have consistently demonstrated exceptional versatility, technical proficiency and competence. In Wayanad, the engineer task force of 200 personnel worked incessantly to erect a 130-feet-long Bailey Bridge in less than 48 hours, which included airlifting the bridge from Delhi to connect the affected towns of Chudalwala and Bandokai village, Seth said. "This bridge remains even deployed today in the area as a lifeline for those villagers," he added. Disaster management is not just a humanitarian concern but is related to "core national security issues", Seth said. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
