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UPI
14-06-2025
- Business
- UPI
'Black boxes' from jet crash in India found; sole survivor doing well
1 of 10 | India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the site of an Air India plane crash near the airport in Ahmedabad, India, on Friday. Photo by Indian Press Information Bureau | License Photo June 13 (UPI) -- Both of the "black boxes" were recovered from the wreckage of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in India after after all but one of the 242 people onboard died. The voice and data recorders may help investigators learn what caused the passenger jet to crash just minutes after it took off from Ahmedabad for London's Gatwick Airport on Thursday. "The Flight Data Recorder (Black Box) has been recovered within 28 hours from the accident site in Ahmedabad," Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, the Indian Union Minister of Civil Aviation, said in a social media post. "This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident." Hours later on Saturday morning local time, the voice recorder was found. The captain of the flight sent a distress call to air traffic control less a minute after take off, India's aviation authorities confirmed Saturday. The plane crashed just 33 minutes after takeoff. The recorders were recovered from on top of the medical college hostel where the jet crashed. Members of the U.S. Transportation Safety Board and British authorities are assisting with the investigation. More 50 of those killed from the plane are British nationals. The aircraft was made in the United States. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday they haven't found any safety data that the plane model itself is unsafe. "They have to get on the ground and take a look. But again, right now it'd be way too premature," Duffy said at a news conference. "People are looking at videos and trying to assess what happened, which is never a strong, smart way to make decisions on what took place." It was the first fatal flight involving the 787-8. Boeing has manufactured 1,188 of the planes since they went into service in 2009. India's government is inspecting all Boeing 787s , the aviation minister just told reporters in a press briefing. Air India operates 33 Boeing 787s and rival airline IndiGo has one, according to data from Flightradar24. Rescue workers scoured the site for survivors and, miraculously, one man, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who had been in seat 11A on the Air India flight, right next to his brother. He walked away from the crash site with only minor injuries. The sole survivor is doing well in hospital but is "psychologically disturbed," according to the Civil Hospital medical director. The jet struck a hostel for B.J. Medical College and Civil Hospital students and relatives, a medical school. The total death toll is at least 290. The British national of Indian origin told the Hindustan Times it happened very fast. "Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed," Ramesh said. "I don't know how I'm alive, how I exited the plane." Ramesh added, "I don't know how I survived. I saw people dying in front of my eyes -- the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me. ... I walked out of the rubble." He was seated near a left-side window emergency exit in the economy section of the aircraft. He said he saw the exit, tried to get out through it and succeeded. Ramesh said he still can't believe he made it out alive. Prime Minister Narenda Modi visited him in the hospital. Modi said on X, "Met those injured in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, including the lone survivor and assured them that we are with them and their families in this tough time. The entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery. A student said it was a "miracle" she missed the flight. Bhoomi Chauhan, 28, said she was angry after a traffic jam on the way to the airport meant she missed boarding the flight by just 10 minutes. Now she said is "numb" after learning a about the crash. In a statement on X Air India offered its deepest condolences to families of those killed and added, "The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national. The FAIMA Doctors Association said on X that "The wife of one super-specialist doctor was found dead." Fifty MBBS students were hospitalized in stable condition while two or three were in critical condition and four or five students were missing. Three to four relatives of resident doctors also are missing, according to FAIMA.
Express Tribune
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Modi opens Chenab bridge
This photograph taken and released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) on 6 June 2025 shows India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding national flag during the inauguration of the Chenab Rail Bridge in Reasi, Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Photo AFP Listen to article Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to the Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Friday since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan, opening a strategic railway line to the contested region he called "the crown jewel of India". "Pakistan will never forget... its shameful loss," the Hindu nationalist premier told crowds a month since India launched strikes on its neighbour after an attack on tourists in Kashmir. "Friends, today's event is a grand festival of India's unity and firm resolve," Modi said after striding across the soaring bridge to formally launch it for rail traffic. "This is a symbol and celebration of rising India," he said of the Chenab Bridge which connects two mountains. New Delhi calls the Chenab span the "world's highest railway arch bridge", sitting 359 metres (1,117 feet) above a river. While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China. The new route will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air. Around 150 people protested against the project on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad in Azad jammu and Kashmir. "We want to tell India that building bridges and laying roads in the name of development will not make the people of Kashmir give up their demand for freedom," said Azir Ahmad Ghazali, who organised the rally attended by Kashmiris who fled unrest on the Indian side in the 1990s. "In clear and unequivocal terms, we want to say to the Indian government that the people of Kashmir have never accepted India's forced rule." Modi also announced further government financial support for families whose relatives were killed, or whose homes were damaged, during the brief conflict --- mainly in shelling along the Line of Control. "Their troubles are our troubles," Modi said.
RTHK
13-05-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Modi vows strong response to any 'terrorist attack'
Modi vows strong response to any 'terrorist attack' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to respond strongly to any future "terrorist attack". Photo: Indian Press Information Bureau via AFP Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Monday to respond strongly to any future "terrorist attack", and warned that New Delhi would not tolerate "nuclear blackmail" in the event of further conflict with Pakistan. A weekend ceasefire appeared to be holding, after four days of intense jetfighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks -- the worst violence between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since 1999. US President Donald Trump on Monday said American intervention had prevented a "bad nuclear war". "We stopped a nuclear conflict... millions of people could have been killed," he told reporters at the White House. Modi, in a televised address to the nation -- his first since hostilities began last Wednesday -- said Pakistan has chosen to attack rather than help it fight "terrorism". "If another terrorist attack against India is carried out, a strong response will be given," he said. The alarming spiral towards all-out war began before dawn on Wednesday, when India launched missile attacks destroying what it called "terrorist camps" in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir. "If Pakistan wants to survive, it will have to destroy its terror infrastructure," Modi said. The conflict followed an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed 26 civilians. India accused Pakistan of backing the attack, but Islamabad denied involvement. (AFP)
RTHK
13-05-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Modi vows strong response to any 'terrorist attack'
Modi vows strong response to any 'terrorist attack' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to respond strongly to any future "terrorist attack". Photo: Indian Press Information Bureau via AFP Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Monday to respond strongly to any future "terrorist attack", and warned that New Delhi would not tolerate "nuclear blackmail" in the event of further conflict with Pakistan. A weekend ceasefire appeared to be holding, after four days of intense jetfighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks -- the worst violence between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since 1999. US President Donald Trump on Monday said American intervention had prevented a "bad nuclear war". "We stopped a nuclear conflict... millions of people could have been killed," he told reporters at the White House. Modi, in a televised address to the nation -- his first since hostilities began last Wednesday -- said Pakistan has chosen to attack rather than help it fight "terrorism". "If another terrorist attack against India is carried out, a strong response will be given," he said. The alarming spiral towards all-out war began before dawn on Wednesday, when India launched missile attacks destroying what it called "terrorist camps" in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir. "If Pakistan wants to survive, it will have to destroy its terror infrastructure," Modi said. The conflict followed an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed 26 civilians. India accused Pakistan of backing the attack, but Islamabad denied involvement. (AFP)
The Star
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Vance meets Modi as India seeks reprieve from tariffs
In this handout photograph taken on April 21, 2025 and released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB), India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) speaks with US Vice President J. D. Vance, during their meeting in New Delhi. - PIB/AFP NEW DELHI: US Vice President JD Vance held trade talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday (April 21) as the South Asian nation looks to strike an early deal with Washington that spares it from President Donald Trump's additional tariff hikes. The White House said in a statement that the talks yielded "significant progress in the negotiations' for a bilateral trade agreement, and that the sides had finalised a roadmap for a possible deal to reduce the tariff burden. The pair also discussed cooperation in defence, critical technologies and energy, the Prime Minister's office said in a statement. The two leaders "called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward' after discussing regional and global security issues, the statement said. "India's constructive engagement so far has been welcomed and I look forward to creating new opportunities for workers, farmers, and entrepreneurs in both countries,' US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. The meeting included bilateral talks between Vance and Modi, a larger meeting with staff and a dinner with the vice president's wife Usha Vance and their three children. A video released by the prime minister's office showed Vance's sons in traditional kurta pajamas and Modi gifting the children peacock feathers. Modi also said he looks forward to a visit by Trump to India later this year, referring to an invitation he conveyed to the American president during his visit to Washington in February. The meeting caps the first day of a four-day visit to India by Vance and his family, a trip that underscores India's importance among countries seeking trade talks with the US during the 90-day pause on Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs. Following the dinner, Vance departed New Delhi for Jaipur. The US has threatened to slap a 26 per cent tariff on Indian exports - up from a baseline ten per cent covering exports from all nations - if no deal is reached during the tariff pause that stretches until July. Trump administration officials have named India as one of several countries the US is prioritising negotiations with during the pause, and hopes are running high in New Delhi that the country can secure a quick agreement. During a visit by Modi to the White House in February, the two sides said they planned to conclude the first tranche of a bilateral trade deal by the fall of this year. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is in Washington this week and plans to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to advance the talks. India's chief trade negotiator will also visit the US this week. Modi has sought to pave the way for a deal with the US in recent months by slashing Indian tariffs on a range of American goods, agreeing to buy more US exports and accepting undocumented migrants sent back from the US. Vance and his family arrived in New Delhi on Monday morning following a three-day trip to Italy, where the vice president met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He also met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, just a day before the pontiff's death. In New Delhi, the Vance family was greeted at the airport by Indian officials before setting off for a visit to a Hindu temple. Interest in the family runs high in India, given that Usha Vance is a daughter of Indian immigrants from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Vance's visit will also include a bit of softer diplomacy, with the vice president's family set to make stops at cultural sites in Jaipur and Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. The US has long sought to cultivate a deeper partnership with India, in large part as a bulwark against China. India, meanwhile, has sought greater US investment and deeper cooperation in technology-sharing and defence. The South Asian country is also hoping to lure investment from White House adviser Elon Musk. The Tesla Inc. chief executive indicated he'd visit India later this year after speaking last week with Modi, signaling potential progress in the electric carmaker's long-pending push into the world's most-populous country. - Bloomberg
