Ahmedabad Air India Crash Kills 265: 241 Of 242 On Board, Others On Ground
'Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones. A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident. Air India has also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information. Those calling from outside India can call on +91 8062779200. Regular updates will continue on Air India's X handle (https://x.com/airindia) and on http://airindia.com as further information comes to hand," it added.
The lone survivor was identified as Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh who was returning to the UK with his brother Ajay Kumar Rakesh, 45, who was in a different row inside the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Speaking to the media, Ramesh said: 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly."
Among the deceased was former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani who was on his way to London to meet his family.
The plane, which struggled to gain altitude, slammed into a hostel for doctors of a medical college, immediately killing five students.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had expressed shock and grief over the crash, visited Ahmedabad on Friday. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. 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," the PM tweeted on Thursday.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THURSDAY
At around 1.38pm, videos of the aircraft showed it flying low over a residential area and struggling to gain altitude. Within minutes, it hits the ground and explodes in a massive ball of fire. What seems to have compounded the impact was the fact that the airliner was loaded with aviation fuel since it was set to fly all the way to London.
It was also revealed that shortly after takeoff, the pilot sent out a 'Mayday" call, but when Air Traffic Control tried to make repeated attempts to get in touch with the flight, there was no response.
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